96 Sneaking In (1/2)
In a certain world, to deal with civil disputes, a lawyer must first learn how to create traps and avoid fraud in a contract so that they can reap more benefits for their employers.
The Devils of this world are masters of deception and experts in contract frauds. However, if there isn’t a single ounce of truth in their words, their reputations will sour sooner or later and no one would be foolish enough then to sign a contract with them.
Thus, using the souls of both parties as a guarantee, as long as one is able to detect all of the possible traps in it, the Devil’s Contract is instead, the world’s fairest and most effective contract. This is also the reason why it is popular in many different dimensions.
The characters of the Lower Realm that are used to write the contracts possess magic. Even if it is the residents of the Main Dimension who can’t understand the Devil’s Language of the Lower Realm, they are still able to understand what is written in one look. However, if they think that the contract will be fair just because they are able to comprehend it, they can’t be more wrong.
Contract fraud is something that the Devils have researched and studied like a form of art since tens of thousands of years ago. For example, if you were to take a magnifying glass to examine those elegant ornaments on the contract, you will realize that those are actually twisted words that form an additional clause in the contract. If you don’t notice it before signing on it, you can only admit your misfortune.
The section that is overwhelmingly long and complicated that it makes you feel averse to might very well be hiding the true terms through the first word of every sentence or such. You might think that the contract should be read horizontally but when carrying out the contract, the Devil will tell you that you should have been reading it vertically or even diagonally, causing the meaning of the contract to change altogether.
As for the inverted words, missing words, wrong terms and other factors that seem out of place, never think of them as an accidental mistakes or typos. Most probably, they are done intentionally and contains some kind of trap within.
Hence, for a Mage who often come into contact with the Lower Realm, the first thing to take note of when striking a deal when Devils is to never use the original contract they provide and insist on creating a new one on the spot, even if it means that it will result in a marathon-length showdown.
As eras progressed, the hypocritical and deceitful human nobles began to employ the Devil’s Contract amongst themselves. Of course, the human’s aptitude for deception is in no way inferior to the Devils. For over a thousand years, they managed to play out new tricks in contract fraud that surprised even the Devil Lords. For example, they would raise an orphan and name them with an identical name with some influential individual and make them sign the contract in their stead. Even I myself wouldn’t dare to use a contract prepared by somebody else or allow the contract out of my sight.
As expected, Darsos refused to use the contract that I’ve prepared without a second thought. He even brought out a literary scholar and magic scholar from Hermit’s residence and requested for a new contract to be written on the spot.
Thus, we struggled against each other one clause after the other. But very quickly, I managed to slowly seize the initiative for the creation of the contract.
Ignoring the fact that the literary scholar and the magic scholar are not as professional as I am, the Devil’s Language from the Lower Realm possesses magic. Its side effect of inciting negative emotions is still a small matter, what would be fatal is if it corrupts your soul, causing you to fall into depravity. The fight over the clauses of the contract isn’t just a battle of knowledge. Even more so, it is a showdown of one’s physical stamina and will.
I intentionally dragged out the contention over the clauses of the contract and even verbalized the Devil’s Language to place greater pressure on them. By the time the contract is finally signed, the moment the tension on the scholars ease, they immediately faint on the floor. It seems that it would a year or so for them to fully recuperate.
I am rather satisfied with the final contract. Also, the other party has seen the hard work the experts have put into the contract so Darsos and the rest are quite satisfied with it as well. Un, at the very least, before those loopholes are discovered, they should be quite satisfied.
One of the victories that I found the most satisfactory is the clause stating that ‘No acts of military threats or war is allowed under any cause within ten years’. This would ensure a period of peace for East Mist Communal Country. Without this clause, if Darsos starts to threaten us again a few days after we finished trading our chips, we, on the weaker side, would still have to give in. This would mean that we have signed the contract for nothing.
What about after ten years? I don’t think that he would have the leisure then to go after the East Mist Communal Country. Besides, if my plan is successful, it would be hard to tell who would be the one raising trouble with whom.
With this secret contract, the East Mist Communal Country could be said to have truly achieved freedom. This is also why after discussing for a bit after returning back, Reyne and the others did not hesitate to acknowledge the God of Law as the national religion and demanded the Auland Empire to hand over the three short fellows.
Without a doubt, this is a challenge to the prestige of Darsos and the Auland Empire. Even more so, we were stabbing them savagely in the back just after the contract has been established. Yet, Auland was unable to do anything extreme retaliation.
”I stabbed you in the back. So, what are you gonna do? Bite me?”
”Un? The East Mist Communal Country actually remained unscathed even after such provocation. Looks like the rumors that the Auland Empire being only strong in appearance is true. Perhaps, the young Emperor might turn out to be unable to even command the Dukes and Counts under him.”
Surrounded by enemies, when the first one to jump out and question their authority isn’t smacked down, many more would probably follow suit. If so, their authority would be endangered.
This isn’t a conjecture on my part but a fact proven by the recent changes in the situation.
Indeed, I was the one who spread the song, but the melody wasn’t my doing. At the very least, I know myself well. Even though my music talent is better than Gria’s, an evolution from the Cry of a Banshee into the Cry of a Lich would create the same murdering effects. Perhaps, dying a slower death might turn out to be even more torturous.
Since the melodies aren’t something that I could have composed, the few bar melodies, operas and the few other varieties which are spreading around furiously now surfaced too quickly. Without a doubt, someone is making use of this opportunity to move in the shadows to damage Darsos’s reputation.
Trying to assume an influential position by suppressing 46 other states during his enthronement, without a doubt, this is a big gamble. While its success would bring about humongous rewards, but it also poses the risk of the situation rebounding back on them, both internally and externally.
Given the speed which the songs are composed and disseminated, as well as the high quality of the finished products, there is a very high chance that it is the doing of the Auland nobles. It would be difficult for other powers to amass so many musicians and playwrights to work on it and utilize a large amount of traveling poets to spread the name of ‘The Foolish Emperor Who Envied the Gods’ to the masses.
In a country that adopts feudalism, a ruler who manages to gather great influence and power isn’t something the nobles would want to see. Auland Empire has 2 Great Dukes, 4 Dukes and 37 Counts. Of them all, more than 70% have their own territory and subjects. All along, they have been living like kings in their own lands.
In the future ”history”, Darsos would successfully amass power and look for reasons to reclaim back a third of the noble titles, confiscating their territories and wealth along with it. Through that, he created a powerful centralized country.
This is something inevitable. When a monarch gains power, the nobles will be suppressed. From a certain viewpoint, the nobles of Auland Empire didn't do anything wrong. They have seen through the wild ambitions of their new Emperor and had been looking for an opportunity to exploit to overcome this threat.
On the other hand, two hours after the East Mist Communal Country made the demand to release the three, thirteen other nations made identical demands, of which, three of them have hundred years of history as Auland Empire’s vassals.
The identity of the three prisoners is no longer relevant at this point. The envoys of the other nations probably don’t even know their names, but this did not stop them from protesting. Those ‘innocent’ unlucky fellows have already become the breach that the smaller countries were looking for to challenge the might of the Auland Empire. As more envoy parties receive the authorization of their kings, many more would probably join the protesting faction.
The Auland Empire is facing retribution for oppressing the weaker nations to serve as their vassals. No nation would willingly submit to another. After all, they would have to pay tributes to them and serve as their pawns when war breaks out. Since the situation can’t get any worse, so they chose to make a gamble before the new Emperor ascends the throne.
Without a doubt, in this period of time, Darsos’s authority and pride have been challenged from both internal and external factions. But, his way of handling it is really skillful.
Despite facing so many provocations, he remained peculiarly silent. He didn’t even try to blame the East Mist Communal Country for it and instead, silently fulfills the terms of the contract, sending a huge amount of resources and technology to the ambassador party.
”He gave in just like that??”
Reyne and Kelly were shocked, this definitely wasn’t the style of that oppressive Emperor. But, in my opinion, the man hasn’t changed at all. He has the standard character of a gambler. The reason why he is keeping his silence now is just to raise the stakes further.
If he decides to compromise, he could just release the three fellows. However, he is keeping abnormally silent on that matter. Right now, he is just bearing all of the pressure so as to look for an opportunity to turn the tables around in one shot.
Fulfilling the contract is just a part of his plans. Going by our contract, if the Auland Empire finish giving all of the resources and technologies promised in it, then I would have to pass the keys of the secret underwater base to Darsos.
”An opportunity to turn the tables... The enthronement ceremony? If he were to bring out the Air Fleet at that moment... No, he doesn’t even need the entire fleet, he only needs to bring out one. That revolutionary weapon that no one has ever seen before should be sufficient to boost his reputation and influence, allowing him to suppress the voices of dissent.”
I could even guess how he would alter the programs of the enthronement ceremony. A military parade is always the best way for one to display their military might. After several of their armies have shown their prowess and the parade reaches the climax, the entry of the new warship would allow him to suppress those restless nobles and vassal states, granting him greater authority.
The reason why I called the Emperor a gambler is because despite the fact that his plan seems feasible, it is dangerous gamble filled with uncertainty.
”If the despairing Engineers were to destroy the creations they painstakingly built, the interior of the of the secret base will be reduced to ruins; Even if the doors are opened, if none of the ships could be completed within three months to make it in time for the enthronement ceremony, then his efforts and resources would have gone down the drain.”
In any case, his actions of fulfilling the contract in advance is beneficial to the East Mist Communal Country. However, to me, it means that I would have to speed up my plans. After all, I am interested in the treasures of the underwater base as well. At the very least, the technology for the Air Fleet can be said to be a priceless treasure that every single country desires.