In that dirty basement, where no light came in, they continued their conversation while only relying on torches.
It was a one-sided story with Rosenta being the only one talking.
But no one complained. They just focused on what he was saying.
"So that’s my plan."
It wasn't until after his story was over that Aphra tilted his head and poured out questions as if he couldn't understand.
"But there is no one who will continue to deliver without sleeping or eating. There's no way a mercenary would do this."
"We’re not using mercenaries."
"Then you're going to take advantage of those who are in need of money……. Such people are dangerous."
"Not them either."
"I understood what you’ve said, Duke, but it still doesn’t sound realistic...….”
"It won’t fail."
Rosenta’s answer was very concise compared to the long-winded Aphra's words.
Perhaps that's why Aphra looked even more confused.
Rosenta stretched out one hand.
"If you want to know, hold my hand. Then I'll tell you."
Aphra looked at Rosenta raptly. He also looked like someone who was about to sign a contract with the devil.
‘Yeah. I’m the devil.’
If he took his hand, he was going to make a contract of the heart with Aphra right away.
But that didn't mean that he was blindly shaking hands with Aphra.
‘Of course, if you want to partner with me, you have to sign a contract of the heart.’
"You don't have to hold it. But I want to tell you this."
To instill a sense of trust, Rosenta pronounced it clearly with his voice compressed.
"I need your strength in what I'm going to do in the future."
“……Do you mean plants?"
Rosenta shook his head with a good-natured smile.
"No, I mean the knowledge you have. In a word, I need you Aphra."
"Need me...….”
He looked as mesmerized as before, but the feeling was completely different.
Aphra looked dazed as if he had remembered something far away. And his cheeks were slightly red.
"Yes, that's good."
Suddenly he grabbed Rosenta’s hand without any warning.
This time, Rosenta was so surprised that he almost shook his hand without realizing it.
But he quickly came to his senses.
He couldn't miss this opportunity. Aphra had bitten and he had to catch him quickly.
However, he didn't make a contract immediately.
First, he told him the conditions.
"What you see from here on must be kept confidential. For example, my abilities that you will see in the future, or my identity as your partner."
"What? Oh, yes."
Aphra was puzzled because Rosenta didn't elaborate.
But he nodded slowly.
For some reason, he looked confident that he would not hurt him now.
Rosenta tightened his grip on his hand so that he couldn’t shake it off easily.
And he told him.
"Don't let go of my hand."
It was only then that he quickly shouted the incantation for a contract of the heart.
"For those who spout the swallowed story recklessly, the symbol of this contract engraved on your heart will burst into flames. 」
A thick billow of black smoke rose. Aphra flapped his body once and looked blankly at his heart.
Rosenta continued reciting the spell.
"This is a curse and a contract on you. This is the contract of the heart. 」
Spherical smoke was absorbed into Aphra's heart in an instant.
The contract was finally over.
It was only then that he let go of Aphra's hand and stepped back.
"Uh, Duke. What was that just now?"
"It was the power of the Estella family."
After a brief explanation, he reached for Enoch, who had been watching them from behind.
Even though Rosenta didn't say anything, Enoch came to him as if he had been waiting.
Then he grabbed his hand.
"Time for my second mark."
The words of the contract of the heart were basically a curse that told the contractor to be careful with their words. But why was Enoch smiling like that?
Rosenta was rather taken aback.
He kept his mouth shut, hand in hand with Enoch.
Then Enoch suddenly pulled him.
Because he hadn’t been flexing his body, Rosenta naturally fell into Enoch's arms.
“……What are you doing?"
"There were no words, so I wondered if we should do it in a different way as it is my second contract.”
Rosenta laughed at Enoch’s nonsense and pushed his shoulder away.
"I was just thinking about it.”
"What?"
Rosenta always felt this way, but Enoch was persistent.
‘And I guess I’ve gotten used to Enoch's persistence.’
It wasn't even surprising now.
He saw Enoch's light green eyes with their deep shadows.
Enoch's gaze was following his own
"Whether the contract will even work for you."
Rosenta was wondering whether he should make another contract of the heart with him this time.
But he had to be careful.
Since the curse was applied twice, if it was forcibly lifted Rosenta would suffer twice the penalty.
However, although there is no basis for thinking so, he truly believed that Enoch would not do such a thing.
It was hilarious.
Knowing of his brutality as the villain acting in the darkness of the original story, Rosenta believed in the Enoch in front of him.
"It's useful.”
Enoch slowly began to bend his face to Rosenta’s ear.
His black hair brushed his cheek.
And Rosenta felt Enoch’s breath tickling his ear.
"So put your leash on me."
***
Aphra couldn't concentrate.
He kept looking back. He seemed to be looking at Enoch’s expression, which was uncomfortable.
Enoch had been showing his displeasure since he didn’t receive a second contract of the heart.
But Rosenta ignored Enoch because talking to Aphra was the immediate priority.
"Focus on me, Aphra."
“……Yes!"
An aristocrat who cared about the butler's face.
It was funny, but Rosenta didn't bother to point it out.
Instead, he brought up something else.
"I will tell you the identity of the deliverymen that the young lord was so curious about."
At that moment, Aphra’s sunset eyes flashed.
It seemed to be a topic that intrigued him.
Rosenta hoped those eyes would still sparkle after what he was about to show him.
He smiled bitterly and stretched out his hand wearing the magic space ring.
Then he exclaimed, "Magic space."
A hole, that looked like a tunnel, appeared in the air.
And a lot of bones rained down from the hole.
It was a bizarre scene.
Rosenta was worried that Aphra might foam at the mouth and faint.
But surprisingly, he was watching the scene calmly. Rather, he was watching with his mouth agape.
This time, he chanted the words,
"Skeleton."」
The bones that had been placed randomly on the floor began to move as if they were worms.
They gathered one by one in search of their fellow bones and formed a complete shape.
A huge number of skeletons, enough to fill the basement, stood in a row in front of them.
It felt as if they were looking at a skeleton army.
"Huh."
Rosenta was nervous at the rough sound of Aphra's breathing.
But Aphra exclaimed with joy, to the extent that Rosenta’s tension was wiped away.
"This is perfect! These were the perfect delivery men that the duke promised! Yeah, if you're not a human, but a skeleton...…!”
How excited he was, he wandered around without calming down.
He even made plans for this and that by himself.
"First of all, let's increase the number of branches starting with the capital of the empire. It costs money to set up a branch……. Oh! We'll have to find them matching armor to hide their identity, right?”
Aphra's chatty nature poured out like water.
"By wearing armor, we can give the impression that we’re using strong men like mercenaries!"
‘Oh, my.’
Conversely, Rosenta turned his head away from Aphra in embarrassment.
Then he met eyes that had turned into a grass green as darkness fell.
Enoch looked at him and pursed his lips.
Rosenta understood it at a glance.
‘A leash.’
Persistent.