“I am a person who knows how to keep their honor, kid. I don’t lie.”

“Then convince me. How exactly can you help me?”

“You’d know that the Benian tribe has physical abilities almost on par with vampires. They can’t use magic, but they are overflowing with mana.”

“Yes, I know.”

“If you control that suppressed mana properly, you can have enormous strength. Even though you can’t use magic, handling aura would be easy. If you learn martial arts or swordsmanship, not many demons will dare to oppose you.”

Hearing Elga speak as if it were a fact, Raven’s pupils minutely quivered.

If what she said was true and he could obtain great power, then he could live a life free from being chased by anyone.

More than that.

Perhaps he could regain the brief moments of happiness and stability he had shared with his mother.

The right to live like a person was finally being offered to Raven, who had special abilities but belonged neither to humans nor demons.

“…Where is the proof that what you’re saying is true? How can I trust you?”

“Think about it, kid. Honestly, I have no reason to put this much effort into persuading you. I have the power to bring you to the kingdom without lifting a finger. You get that, right?”

“…”

“But I don’t want to treat a sentient being arbitrarily. I made a lot of those mistakes when I was younger. I was blinded by my magical studies.”

“So, what is it you want to say in the end?”

“If you only cooperate with what I’m trying to do, I promise I won’t harm you. I’ll pay you the appropriate price, just as I said.”

When Elga spoke with a grin as if encouraging him to trust her, Raven fell into deep thought.

His principle of not trusting someone easily had not changed, but the sincerity that oozed out from each of her words was the same sincerity he had felt from Bella.
“If you think you’re rushing, take your time and think it over. I’ll be in the palace for a while, so there’s no need to rush to conclusions.”

“……Alright.”

“The sun is already setting. Sione, it’s a rare time we spend together. How about we all have dinner? It would be good for Bella and her friend to join us.”

“Master, Raven is currently in a period of seclusion. I don’t think it’s wise to keep him close to Bella at this point.”

“Seclusion? It’s practically the same as you locking him up. What’s the problem when you and I are together? I’ll take responsibility; let’s invite Raven to dinner.”

Faced with Elga’s commanding tone, Sione reluctantly nodded.

“I’ll send someone later. Change your clothes and wash up before coming to dinner.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t be sarcastic. I’m not doing this because I want to.”

With seemingly no emotional investment, Sione turned her back and left the room with Elga.

‘…What do I do now?’

Alone, Raven wrapped his hands around his head and sank onto the bed.

Even if he tried to find a flaw in something trivial, Elga’s logic was irrefutable.

Moreover, if he could help Bella without any repercussions and gain new power, it would be advantageous for him.

He didn’t know what kind of ‘help’ they were talking about, though.

‘I can’t make a decision right now. Let’s take time to think it through.’

In this situation, Raven had few options.

The one good thing was that they did not know he was meeting Bella separately.

While gauging Elga’s true intentions, if he could extract little bits of information about her from Bella, it would help him make the right decision.

‘I’ve been invited to dinner; let’s see what the atmosphere is like.’

Raven had an excellent ability to read situations and intuitive judgment.

If he hadn’t, he might have already been discovered as an anonymous corpse on the street.

Even if it was just sharing a meal, Raven intended to use it to assess his situation.

With that resolve, he began to read a book he had set aside. About an hour later, a familiar-faced soldier came to fetch him, holding clothes suitable for dinner.

“Follow me. I’ll guide you to where your bath is prepared.”

“Alright.”

Raven, who left the room without a word, washed himself clean in a luxurious bathroom with steaming hot water and changed into new clothes.

Always wearing coarse fabric, the soft clothing typical for nobility felt extremely awkward. Nonetheless, he had never been concerned about his attire and headed for the dining room without much thought.

‘Delicious smell.’

As he got closer to the dining room, the aroma of delicious food tickled his nose.

Raven felt his steps quicken instinctively as he followed the soldier toward the dining room.

When the soldier who had been ordered to wait outside stepped back, exclamations poured from the mouths of the people who spotted Raven.

“Wow, who is this? I hardly recognize him!”