That was the first thing Balton said. He needed to blend in and assess the
situation.
Jaekiel handed over a Sun Grass, and Balton fiddled with it for a while as if
it were something novel.
"I thought it might be, but it's really Sun Grass. Definitely genuine."
Balton didn't ask for the Sun Grass to enjoy it; he was just curious if the
one Jaekiel was casually smoking was genuine.
Jaekiel exhaled smoke and looked at Balton.
"There's no reason to smoke a fake one."
"Sun Grass is one of the highest-grade drugs. How did you bring it here?
I'm curious about your smuggling methods."
"Well… I just smoked it openly."
"Hah, right. You wouldn't reveal trade secrets so easily."
Was he specialized in hiding something?
In any case, it was clear that the man opposite him was somewhat wary of
Balton. So his relaxed demeanor was just an act.
Meanwhile, Jaekiel asked Balton something unexpected.
"Do you know how to cook?"
Changing the subject so quickly? He might be weaker than expected.
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"There are ingredients and cooking utensils on the second floor. Use them if
you're hungry."
"Is the Penitence Palace your home?"
"At one time, it was almost like that."
Compared to Balton, didn't he just arrive half a day earlier? Balton almost
laughed at his absurd sense of territoriality.
'No, on second thought, a Sun Grass addict can't be normal.'
Vivid hallucinations were one of the most common symptoms experienced
by Sun Grass smokers. They often spew nonsense when they speak.
From that, everything seemed to fit. His excessive calmness and his
seemingly unstable state.
Meanwhile, Jaekiel pointed to the ceiling with his chin.
"It's the rules of the Penitence Palace, so take a look."
"Rules?"
Balton looked up at the ceiling.
To the Penitence Palace.
One, today there are three guests in the Penitence Palace.
Two, by tomorrow, the number should be reduced to two.
Three, if the above conditions are not met, the Penitence Palace will be
destroyed.
"Hmm, very interesting rules."
Balton muttered and looked around.
A Sun Grass addict and a woman tense and full of anxiety… There was a
short and simple conclusion. The strongest one here was Balton himself.
'I expected a strong opponent, but this isn't bad either!'
There was definitely fun in tormenting the weak. Like a chef putting
ingredients on the chopping board. He was already excited about how to
play with and dominate this pair.
Balton took out the dice he had carefully kept in his pocket.
"If those are the rules, there's no need to drag this out, right? Let's start
right away, friends! I have a fun suggestion!"
"Fun?"
"Yes! This is a place where someone has to die, right? Let's decide who it
will be with dice. The one who rolls a higher number between you two, I'll
let live."
While talking, Balton didn't forget to exude an overwhelming aura of dark
energy. The reason was obvious—to physically demonstrate that he was
overwhelmingly stronger than the two of them.
Silence fell for a while, and the man and woman across from him
exchanged glances a few times. Thanks to this, Balton was once again
convinced.
'It's certain. I'm the strongest one here.'
How fun would it be to see them fight each other?
Finally, Jaekiel picked up the dice.
"Quite an unusual guy came in. I'll go first."
"Sure. Don't feel pressured; just throw it."
Balton muttered as he stealthily cast dark magic on Jaekiel. The curse of
frailty, one of the most notorious.
'The value of these rigged dice depends on the strength of the thrower.'
The weakened Jaekiel would roll a low number, and Balton would kill him
immediately. Then, he could have fun with the woman for the rest of the
time. That was the rough plan in his mind.
"So, what number will it be? I'm really looking forward to it."
Just as Balton licked his lower lip with his tongue…
Wham!
Something he couldn't detect hit him hard on the philtrum.
"Ugh…!"
Balton quickly straightened his head, which had been bent backward.
Surprise came first, and pain followed a moment later. He tasted blood and
moved his tongue, feeling a void in his mouth. The blow had knocked out
all his front teeth.
And then, a leisurely voice hit his ears.
"Well, should I throw it like this?"
Jaekiel.
He was throwing and catching the dice, smiling nonchalantly.
"You, how dare you…?! What are you doing…?!"
"Your mouth is still fine. Did I overdo it?"
With those words, a large ice crystal exploded from Jaekiel's palm, and
numerous shards shaped like dice were shot out.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
At a speed that was hard to follow with the naked eye.
All Balton could do was helplessly endure the attack.
"Ugh…! Aaargh…!"
Wham! Wham!
"Stop! Stop…! Just stop for now…!"
Unable to endure the unbearable pain, Balton soon fell to his knees and
eventually curled up on the ground.
…This pain, this humiliation, was the first in his life.
"A-a magician? What the hell are you? You should be under the frailty
curse…!"
Balton was simply curious.
The question filling his mind was just 'why?'
It was well known that dark magicians had a significant advantage over
regular magicians. Even with the frailty curse on him, how was he this
powerful?
"You… You're a magician! How can you overpower a dark magician like
me…?!"
"Advantage?"
Jaekiel muttered and then simply laughed.
"That only matters when the skill levels are similar. Right?"
Thud!
The final ice dice pierced through Balton's head as he lay prone. It was an
overwhelmingly decisive victory.
Jaekiel's gaze turned to Anes next to him.
"Congratulations. Surviving as a newcomer in the Penitence Palace is quite
something."
"…"
But Anes couldn't say anything.
She remained expressionless, but her mind was in turmoil. Jaekiel's magical
prowess, observed firsthand, was beyond imagination. It was simply
astounding.
It took a while before Anes could look at Jaekiel.
"…Who are you, really?"
Unfortunately, she couldn't get an answer.
Thud, thud!
─Hear this, Penitence Palace. The time has come!
Finally, the time had come.
Shiiiing!
A bright light exploded within the space.
Beeeep.
I shook my head, feeling a strong ringing in my ears. It was a side effect of
the teleportation that activates when the Penitence Palace's time ends. It
was unpleasant every time, no matter how often I experienced it.
'This place… A reception room.'
Thanks to my past experiences in the Imperial Palace, it was easy to figure
out. I was currently placed in the middle of an empty reception room.
But I was alone.
There were chairs across from me, and two teacups on the table in front, but
I was the only one here. There was no one else.
'Where is the 3rd Princess?'
Should I go out and find her myself? It would be fairly easy. Just look for
the skinniest woman in the Imperial Palace, and that would be the 3rd
Princess.
Just as I took out a new Sun Grass and started chewing it…
Bam.
Click-clack. Click-clack.
A woman entered as the reception room door opened.
Her pure golden hair, so radiant that it alone could attest to her nobility,
flowed like golden waves with every movement. And beneath it, her deeply
shining red eyes.
It was our first meeting, yet we had met before.
But it was both a first meeting and a familiar one.
A woman who felt both familiar and strange at the same time. While I was
lost in complex thoughts, the golden-haired woman sat across from me.
Up close, her body's curves were astonishing.
No matter where my gaze fell on her body, it felt awkward and
embarrassing. We naturally faced each other.
Sigh.
The woman suddenly sighed.
But it wasn't a sigh of displeasure; it was clearly a sigh of relief.
"I'm so relieved you're safe. When the Emperor forced the Penitence
Palace decision, my heart sank. But rest assured, you'll be safe while we
talk."
"…"
I looked at her silently.
Because the cognitive dissonance was overwhelming.
"You…"
"That's right. I am Solana, the 3rd Princess of the Bait Empire."
Puuuufff.
I blew a full cloud of smoke right at her face.
You're Solana?
…You?
The one who was once so skinny?