The Bookkeeper-Chapter 57: Slave Quest

Whoever sent Aeris was generous enough to provide her with a spare key to the storeroom, though, like everyone else in the palace, they remained blissfully unaware of which book she truly sought.

And now, her entire fate rested in the hands of Raiden. The same man who refused to sign a contract with her because he intended to kill her eventually. Without question.

Aeris lay on the living room sofa, hands tied behind her back and legs firmly bound. Raiden sat with his tea while Levi and Freya trekked through the forest, heading for Coast City to find a temporary slave choker.

Speed and his twin sister, Soul, remained outside the house practicing mana control while Leo crouched beside Aeris, gently wiping her face with a damp cloth and ensuring she was well enough to stand soon.

Raiden sat with one leg crossed over the other when a voice echoed in his head.

[Papa...] Ash said, her voice somewhat raw.

Raiden turned to her with a smile, set down his cup, and wrapped her in his embrace. "Are you willing to tell me what’s going on now, Ash?"

Ash remained silent, flapping her baby wings with a faint smile as she nudged Raiden. He watched her for a moment, sighed and smiled, and then placed her on his shoulder.

He didn’t know what was causing Ash’s random long sleeps, but he couldn’t feel any fear within her heart, and she seemed peaceful whenever she woke up. He decided to simply trust that she knew what she was doing.

But then Aeris began coughing, drawing Raiden’s attention to her. His smile widened as he saw Aeris open her eyes slightly and drag her fingers through her blonde hair.

"Are you okay, Aeris?" Leo asked, concern evident in his voice.

Aeris gave him a firm nod, but the moment her gaze found Raiden’s, something within her snapped. She shot to her feet, eyes widening with fear as she wiped her sweaty palms against her thighs. Raiden, however, simply smiled at her.

"You don’t understand, Raiden," she said, her voice breaking. "I... I had to go home."

Raiden’s expression darkened in an instant. She’d been caught trying to steal the Book of Ashes, and her only concern was that she’d fled the hideout?

Raiden sighed. "You know that won’t stop me from killing you, right?"

Leo sank into the sofa, staring at Aeris in disbelief as she gazed at the floor, struggling to find her words.

"Well... I’ve got a few questions for you," Raiden said. Aeris turned to him, swallowing nervously.

"Before we move on to more important matters, how exactly did you manage to get into the house?"

Aeris began twisting her fingers as sweat formed on her forehead. "I used teleportation. When I arrived outside, you were all meditating, so I stepped carefully and entered the house."

Raiden began tapping his chin with a finger. His danger detection was supposed to alert him to Aeris’s presence. Was it because he unconsciously didn’t view her as a threat, or did his ability genuinely not see her as one?

He pondered this for a moment, but there weren’t any clear answers. He shrugged and decided to seek an answer once he had gathered enough facts to decide.

He tilted his head toward Aeris. "That brings me to my question... who sent you?"

She couldn’t even look in Raiden’s direction. Her eyes darted everywhere except at him, and from her expression, Raiden could tell she wasn’t going to simply betray whoever sent her.

Raiden leaned back into the sofa, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Whether you tell me or not, I will kill you. Your decision will only determine how long you last before I do."

Aeris started trembling in fear, but still struggled to look Raiden in the eyes. "I know you think I sold you out to the elders and Captain Kai, but I didn’t."

Her voice started cracking. "The moment I left here, I hurried back to take care of my family... I didn’t betray you, Raiden." Her voice softened. "Please trust me."

Raiden stared at her for a long moment. Lies with tears. They worked quite well back in his previous world. In his early years as an assassin, before his twin brother Jobe died, he always hesitated when he saw those tears and snot on an enemy’s face. But Jobe was stone-cold, just like their father.

He killed without hesitation, but cared and loved when it mattered. But when he died, he took Raiden’s scared, hesitant side with him. So tears and lies held no power over him anymore. She was more than a decade too late.

His thoughts continued for quite a while as he weighed whether knowing who had sent her for the book was worth it. But to Aeris, the frightening expression on his face as he stared at her was too much, and before anyone knew it, she blurted out:

"Captain Kai sent me, and he promised me five million Persa, so I simply couldn’t refuse." She said it all in one rushed breath.

Raiden’s eyes widened, and he smiled. The way she’d rushed out the confession amused him. But then his expression darkened in an instant.

Captain Kai had been a troublemaker. He was the sole reason why the Dawnbringers were so proud and arrogant, and his corruption was what allowed families like the Jaspers to wield enough power to cause such tragedy to his servants, Speed and Soul.

It went without saying that they could have all been dead at the hands of the Jaspers not long ago. He needed to take care of that nuisance.

His expression spoke volumes, and he didn’t need to say a word for Leo and Aeris to understand exactly what he was thinking.

"Let me handle him, bookkeeper," Leo said with his elbows on his thighs and his chin resting on his fist, his eyes focused on the floor.

Raiden looked at Leo with both confusion and uncertainty.

"I am your apprentice, yet I have done nothing to prove that I am worthy of that title." His tone dropped low. "Perhaps that’s why you haven’t formed a contract with me yet."

Raiden’s eyes widened in realization. Leo had personally requested a contract between them, which Raiden had agreed to, but when he later changed his mind, he hadn’t told Leo why. And clearly it had been eating him up.

"Each one of us has demonstrated incredible feats worthy of being your subordinates: Levi killing Mack, Freya’s intense fight with Seth and killing the God Beast, and Speed’s fight with the God Beast."

Raiden wanted to speak, but he knew better. If he had learned anything about teamwork since arriving in this world, then it was knowing what to do when someone was pouring their heart out.

"Let me take on Captain Kai..." He turned to Raiden with that same determination in his eyes that Raiden had been seeing for so long. "For me, Raiden. For my pride."

Raiden smiled. He wouldn’t take away his dignity. If Leo wanted Captain Kai dead by his own hands, then so be it. What mattered was Kai being out of the picture.

But before Raiden could speak, Levi and Freya returned. "Oh, the traitor is up," Levi said and tossed Raiden a black slave choker.

Raiden caught it and tested its strength.

"It can only be torn after the contract cast on it has been fulfilled," Freya said in Noorian as she took her seat.

Raiden nodded in approval. He reached for Ash on his shoulder, placed her gently on the sofa, and rose to his feet.

"Don’t worry, Leo." Raiden gave him a smirk. "Captain Kai is all yours."

Leo’s expression shifted as he stared at Raiden with fierce determination.

Raiden took a deep breath and moved closer to Aeris. She stood there, visibly trembling. "You have two options..."

His smile widened. "Either I kill you here and now, or I give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Aeris finally looked at him, her eyes sparkling. "Anything, Raiden. Anything."

"Anything you say..."

Aeris gave him a definite nod.

Raiden’s expression grew dark as he pondered why people made empty promises driven by determination alone. Aeris had no idea what he intended to ask, yet she claimed she could do anything. Did people actually compare what they’d gain to what they’d lose? Or did they just pursue rewards blindly, never questioning the sacrifice or calculating the risk?

A smile returned to his face. Fools like her were precisely the ones who would make his dream possible.

"I want you to spy on the assassins for me."

Aeris’ eyes went wide, and she swallowed nervously.

"Infiltrate their hideout. Report back to me with everything you see and hear."

The excitement in her eyes from moments before had vanished completely. Fear consumed her once again. With the slave choker binding her, she couldn’t simply flee. Freedom would only come once she fulfilled her duty.

"Will you really kill me if I don’t?" Her voice cracked as she looked at Raiden, though his cold expression already told her everything.

She let out a sigh and reached out for the choker with trembling hands.

Raiden placed it lazily in her outstretched palm.

"I, Aeris..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I, Aeris, promise to serve as a spy among the assassins. I may be free only when I return and report everything I see and hear to Raiden."

Raiden let out a soft laugh and infused the choker with his mana, making it spring open. Aeris’ hands trembled without mercy as she positioned it around her throat.

The moment she did, Raiden pulled a ring from his pocket. "Oh, silly me... I forgot." He threw it to Aeris. "This will allow you to stay in contact with us, communicate with us, and alert us when you’re in trouble."

He started to toss the matching ring to Raiden, but Raiden waved him off, indicating he should keep it.

Aeris examined the ring, studying it briefly before slipping it onto her finger.

"It’s a callsign ring." Levi raised an eyebrow. "I trust you know how it works... three gentle touches and you can speak with me."

Aeris gave a small nod.

Her mission was nothing short of suicide. Even Levi, with all his years among the assassins, had only the slimmest chance of survival—and everyone in the room knew it. Aeris included.

"Leo... Aeris." Raiden sank into the sofa once more. "You have today to prepare. Tomorrow, you strike."

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