"What!? That heretic!?" Raventa's pupils contracted, all the smiles immediately vanishing from her face.
Kirin and Sebastian's auras manifested, Aether slowly beginning to cover their bodies, prepared to either run or kill at any moment.
"Well, it seems like I was right… anyways, you're still James, don't worry." Beatrice whistled nonchalantly, as if teasing Johan, then added.
"Of course, that could change anytime you get on my nerves." She smiled dangerously. Radhaan had said it very clearly—to kill Johan before Johan could kill him—so there was no way she would suppress this information.
It was just her way of getting revenge on her employer for overworking her so much, sending her completely alone to basically die in that dungeon, which understandably pissed her off to no end. She even suspected that Radhaan was trying to get rid of her to gain full control over the organization's channels.
She still couldn't directly refuse his orders, so why not go in with more hands? She knew all about Kirin and Sebastian's strength, and something was definitely weird about Johan's body too.
If they could survive the Doomsday Trial, she would send the information to Radhaan.
'Or maybe I can just tell Radhaan everything… then use him. He won't have to blame me then.' Her grin widened.
"No, there's no way! I can't just partner with a devil worshiper…" Raventa yelled loudly, attracting eyes from the surroundings.
She covered her mouth, but her gaze was still fierce.
Beatrice suppressed an urge to laugh. 'How ironic! What a good girl…' She sighed resignedly at Raventa, then looked back up at the still dazed Johan.
"...Sure, but I also have a condition." Johan finally broke the silence, having made up his mind.
"What?" Beatrice asked calmly.
"I still haven't agreed?" Raventa mumbled to herself, but still listened actively to the condition.
"You both will have to sign a contract that you can't talk about us to anyone for at least a week…" Johan spoke slowly, letting his words sink in.
Beatrice's eyes widened, but she nodded with satisfaction. She liked smart people—they were the easiest to deal with. And no one could fool her anyway.
"Sure, but like a contract under law or something? Hahaha." Beatrice agreed. This was her original plan anyway, but what kind of contract would make someone as cautious as Johan Von Matilda feel safe?
[Spirit Pact: Soul Bind!]
Johan muttered in his mind. Suddenly, a piece of paper glowing with violet-colored fire manifested in his hands.
When his body evolved to a higher life form, all his abilities had evolved as well.
He quickly passed it to Raventa, who curiously grabbed it, sharing it with the equally curious Beatrice.
[Devil Dive: Eyes of Subtlety]
Beatrice mumbled to herself. Her originally golden eyes turned bright red, with a small purple dot at the center.
She had a contract with the Devil of Subtlety, which gave her godly perception, making her immune to almost all tricks—whether in a fight or in mental games. The worst kind of person to go up against.
If an enemy laid a trap against her, it was probably she who planted the idea of it. That's how she could kill anyone with ease.
As long as she had her eyes, she could analyze all data like an AI, finding perfect counters and weaknesses. Her mind could even formulate the most damaging psychological taunts.
Her bright red pupils darkened, focusing intently on the contents of the paper.
[I shall keep the information about Johan, Kirin, and Sebastian entirely hidden for a week. If I reveal even a single word to an outsider, I shall become an obedient slave to Johan Von Matilda.]
Both of their eyes widened at the bizarre punishment, staring at Johan with disgust.
"It's not like that! I just wanted you two because of your powers." Johan's eyes darted, not daring to make eye contact.
"I don't care. But first tell me—what is this contract enforced by? It can't just be an agreement, right?" Beatrice asked hesitantly, her sharp eyes searching for lies.
"Honestly, I don't know. But I know for a fact that it's enforced. We'll find out if someone breaks the terms." Johan spoke softly. He actually didn't know much about this ability's technical details, so it was the truth.
"...I see." She quickly scribbled down her name on the paper, which glowed violently for just a moment before returning to its dim light.
Raventa still stared at it hesitantly. She really wanted to talk to Astreus first.
"Don't worry, Raventa. You can trust me!" Johan grinned devilishly, a failed attempt at a comforting smile.
Beatrice nudged her elbow into Raventa's slim waist. Raventa took a deep breath and quickly wrote down her name, wondering if she'd just made the worst mistake of her life.
Johan extended his hand forward, motioning it toward Beatrice.
Beatrice smiled, grabbing Johan's hand tightly. Johan also firmed his grip.
Both stared at each other for an extended moment—but finally, smiles broke on their faces.
Beatrice let go of his hand, making Johan miss the warmth and softness of it.
"But… why do you both even wanna go there?" Johan asked nonchalantly, walking off the street with the rest, his arms resting behind his head.
"Boss ordered," Beatrice replied simply, saying nothing more to prevent any information leak.
If she knew that Johan already knew about Radhaan, she would've immediately tried to kill him.
"...I-I heard the Elf Goddess taught the first witch to ever exist there…" she said with a flushed face.
Everyone stopped, their eyes widening. 'So you're going there for sightseeing!?' Johan cursed under his breath, truly admiring Raventa's guts.
"Ah, we are here!" Raventa skillfully changed the topic, pointing her hand toward an empty stone wall—the dead end of a street.
Johan quickly recognized the place from the game. The black market—controlled by a Mantel. From hiring assassins to getting information on how many ball hairs the king of the Midgard Empire had—you could buy it all.
"So you can read my mind…" Johan spoke calmly through a clenched jaw.
'Leor!!!' His breath grew ragged.
This was one of the abilities of the Devil of Subtlety—but she only got this near the endgame. There was only one man who could've helped her learn it—a transmigrator.
But he quickly suppressed his thoughts. Thankfully, he hadn't thought much about his past life back there.
Johan was going to visit the black market to try to buy information on where the members of House Matilda were imprisoned. This was not how it should've gone.
"Yes. I read it all. Especially your lewd ones—where you wanted me to sit on your face and suffocate you, while Raventa sucked on it." Beatrice said with a grin, her tone amused.
Johan's face lost all color, forgetting entirely what he was about to ask.