"Honorable sir, your companion has returned safely, what a joyous occasion. How could the illusions of the Rainbow House withstand your divine power?" Slaikum, eager to make Angel believe it had truly pledged allegiance, seized every opportunity to flatter and praise.
Angel: "This is just a trivial matter, is there anything to be joyous about? Or is it that deep down, you hope this small matter would turn into a big one? Hmm... preferably, none should return?"
Slaikum frantically shook its snake head: "How could that be? Absolutely impossible, I have never thought that way. I’m about to become your most loyal servant, naturally hoping everything is safe and sound."
Angel: "Is that so?"
With that, a parchment scroll emitting a faint glow appeared in Angel’s hand.
"No need for ’about to’, you can become my servant now if you sign this contract."
Various characters swirled around the parchment scroll. Though Slaikum couldn’t discern the meaning of these characters, it could sense the binding force unique to a contract.
Slaikum stiffened as it looked at the glowing contract.
"What’s the matter, you’re unwilling? Seems like what you said earlier was all lies..."
Before Angel could finish speaking, Slaikum interrupted abruptly, showing distress and sorrow: "Sir, please don’t misunderstand, it’s not that I won’t sign the contract. I became the door spirit of the Princess’s room because I had previously signed a contract with her, yes, that malicious woman constrains me."
Seeing Angel squint his eyes, Slaikum hurriedly added: "However, how could I willingly submit to that devil forever? Through my deception, the Princess, who was only three years old at the time, and I signed a contract that was not a master-servant contract, but a... parity contract."
Angel watched Slaikum’s exaggerated performance, internally giving it a decent score for its reaction capabilities, but outwardly remained calm: "So, you can’t sign a contract with me then."
Slaikum: "Even if I can’t sign a contract, I am willing to become your humblest servant."
After a pause, Slaikum continued: "If the only way you can trust me is by signing a contract, then perhaps you can discuss with the Princess, to terminate the contract."
Angel: "Discussion is out of the question, if I approached the Princess, it would end in a deadly confrontation. But, if the Princess were dead, it might also terminate your ’parity contract’. "
Slaikum, suppressing its somewhat agitated mind, nodded: "Yes, that is also a way to terminate the contract."
Although Slaikum managed to restrain itself considerably, the keenly perceptive Angel still noticed: "You seem thrilled?"
"Uh... I, I’m excited about the possibility of escaping the Princess’s clutches."
"Is that so?" Angel replied casually, turning away. Because Lady Melo and a group of Talented Ones had already walked over.
The expressions on the Talented Ones varied, but they all carried a trace of relief in their eyes. Clearly, their experiences had not been pleasant.
"Sir, everyone is accounted for," Lady Melo said respectfully.
Angel nodded: "Just in time, the Gray Crow Wizard downstairs has made his move, in about two minutes they will be up here."
Upon hearing this, the Talented Ones showed expressions of urgency. Even Lady Melo couldn’t help but ask: "Shall we depart now?"
Angel: "No rush, those two over there haven’t finished changing clothes, and there’s one more task I need you to do."
Lady Melo immediately said: "Sir, please instruct me."
Angel took out a wooden disc from his bracelet, then pulled out an engraving pen, swiftly engraving several symbols and lines on the disc.
"Is this a magical energy array?" Lady Melo couldn’t quite understand, it looked like one, but felt different.
While Lady Melo mentioned the magical energy array, Slaikum on the other side showed a slight change in its eyes, does this wizard also understand magical energy arrays?
"It’s not a magical energy array, just a little gadget to momentarily deceive the magical energy array’s energy circuit." Angel handed the disc to Lady Melo, and said: "Insert this into the hole in the door, the one where this door spirit emerged from."
Did the sir mean there’s a magical energy array here? Lady Melo was puzzled, Slaikum hadn’t mentioned it earlier.
Although it felt strange, Lady Melo didn’t inquire further, she took the disc and walked towards the door.
As soon as Lady Melo took a few steps, Slaikum transformed into a light arrow, attempting to rush towards her.
Yet, before it could reach Lady Melo, an invisible wind wall blocked it. Naturally, this wind wall was created by Speedy.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Lady Melo glanced back, and seeing Slaikum’s face turning menacing again, she seemed to understand something and smiled slightly as she continued towards the doorway.
Surrounded by the wind wall, Slaikum at this moment heard Angel’s voice.
"Seems like you were not excited to escape the Princess, but rather hoping for a direct confrontation between me and her?"
Angel walked over, gazing at Slaikum with calm eyes.
Slaikum took a deep breath, restrained its ferocious expression, and resumed its sycophantic demeanor: "Sir, I..."
"Stop pretending, you didn’t mention the magical energy array hidden here when you were revealing secrets to Lady Melo, many answers became clear to me then," Angel spoke directly to the point, also praising: "Even though I knew the truth, I thought your acting was quite good. Especially your reaction when I brought out the contract, performing a setback first before rising, was well done. Better than the young Demon King over there. Of course, in terms of contrast and story appeal, the young Demon King was more memorable."
Hearing Angel refer to its previous actions as a performance, Slaikum’s face turned sullen.
"You will surely die!"
"You can’t escape, the magical energy array here is beyond your imagination! You should have seen the magical energy array in the prison, this one is countless times stronger, you are absolutely unable to escape!"
Perhaps to boost its own confidence, Slaikum repeatedly asserted "you can’t escape" within a single sentence.
Angel: "You are correct, the magical energy array here is indeed stronger than the one in the prison."
The magical energy array in the prison, Angel could directly block the energy channel with a playing card. But here, it required creating a corresponding external array plate to deceive the magical energy array’s energy flow; this difference showed the two arrays were not in the same league.
"This magical energy array is filled with magic pattern horns related to bloodline and soul, it feels inexplicably familiar."
When Angel analyzed the Crimson Authority earlier, he also discovered many magic pattern horns related to bloodline and soul. Although the patterns were different, the feeling was the same.
"Is this supposed to be a magical energy array that requires activation by the bloodline of King Gumman’s family? You want me to face the Princess directly because she could enhance the magical array’s effect?"
Slaikum looked at Angel in shock. Ever since entering the room, it had been following Angel, witnessing almost no movements by Angel, yet he managed to detect the magical energy array here and even describe the method to activate its full power.
"Don’t look at me with such genuine surprise, it makes me feel awkward... I prefer watching your performance." Angel: "By the way, you haven’t answered my question, is the secret on the Princess just this?"