"Then, can you tell me what kind of a deal have you made with the Gods?" Sol asked.

Ocean frozen for a moment and then he recalled the time when he was at the edge of vulnerability and had ended up saying something unnecessary to him.

What was it that he told him again? Did he spill everything about the system or the quests?

But then again, if he had then the system would have already been blaring with the penalties. There were no other notifications apart from the ones he had already read.

Ocean gathered his thoughts and stepped out of the changing frame and looked at Sol who stood near the vanity with a somber look on his face.

"What are you talking about, Sol?" Ocean asked, probing the situation first.

Sol’s eyes hardened for a split moment before he sighed.

"I saw that divine bow in your hand, Ocean. And you told me that you were a pawn for someone’s whims. Care to explain?" Sol asked and Ocean closed his eyes for a moment.

The notification popped up as soon as he opened his eyes. The warning about the sharing of confidential information stood in blaring red.

Ocean sighed, "Don’t ask."

Sol’s eyebrows furrowed, "It’s always a one sided deal, Ocean. Those greedy bastards will only make a slave out of you and you’ll be tossed aside the moment your work is done."

Ocean sighed, he wasn’t able to agree or refute his words as the notification kept flashing before his eyes.

"Please don’t ask." Ocean spoke.

Sol seemed to have noticed the weariness in Ocean’s tone and asked, "Are you forbidden from speaking about it?"

His guess was spot on and the warning just came double fold.

[The Host has breached the contract of secrecy. Penalty shall be issued.]

Ocean frowned, "Hey, I didn’t tell him anything about the system or the mission! Why the hell are you giving me a penalty?!"

[The Preserver says that the Dragon in front of you is smart enough to have figured it all out on his own.]

"Then why do I have a penalty?"

[Goddess of Wisdom says that’s because you prompted him.]

"I-"

Ocean recalled what he had said and even the Sharanga Bow that Sol must have seen and swallowed his words. He still found it slightly unfair to be punished.

"Can’t you just let it slide thinking it was a drunk or rather emotional mistake?" Ocean tried to negotiate.

"Are you going to be punished?" Sol asked and Ocean looked at him.

Sol was unmistakably one of the Dragons who had descended from the Heavens years ago, so it wouldn’t be completely unprecedented that he would have figured out. He must also be well acquainted with the Gods and the system as well. But then again, could he ask for some help to know if there were some loopholes that he could exploit?

Still, although the idea was tempting he resisted it thinking maybe Sol could become a collateral damage because of him.

Ocean didn’t say anything and just shrugged, Sol’s jaw clenched.

"Those damn bastards," he muttered and Ocean’s eyebrows jumped.

"How dare they!"

Ocean was about to open his mouth to ask him if he was cursing at the heavens and the Gods when the notification popped up.

[Warning! Since the Host has breached the contract of secrecy the Penalty shall be issues.]

"Hey!"

[The Host shall not be able to use his Dragon’s Power for 48 hours.]

"You’re kidding me? You are not exactly casting a penalty on me here, it will be a big blow to the plan!" Ocean thought angrily when suddenly another notification popped up.

[The Blessing of God of Dragons has negated the Penalty placed by the system.]

[Loading the Penalty again...]

[The Blessing of God of Dragons had negated the Penalty placed by the system again.]

[Loading...]

Ocean stared at the cycle of notifications and then blinked, surprised that the God of Dragons’ blessing was strong enough to nullify the penalty of the system. Ocean thought that the system was almost omnipotent but to think that the God of Dragons was stronger somehow made him feel impressed.

He then noticed Sol huffing before him as if he was in pain and he quickly scooped him up in his arms.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" Ocean asked before he casted his Healing spell over Sol.

[The God of Dragons has firmly banished the penalty placed over you.]

Ocean saw the notification and he couldn’t help but feel rather relieved and grateful to this God of Dragons.

He then looked at Sol who was starting to breath more evenly now.

"Are you feeling better? Did the overexertion trigger the pain?" Ocean asked and Sol looked at him.

The hint of anger was swirling in his golden eyes but he looked rather relieved for some reason.

"If you can’t tell me, I won’t force you," he said and Ocean opened his mouth before closed it back again.

He surely couldn’t tell him more since he didn’t want to trouble the God of Dragons again and again to negate his penalties.

"I’m sorry," Ocean spoke instead and then smiled, "and thanks for understanding."

Sol stared at him for a moment and then placed his hand over Ocean’s cheek, his eyes glazing over and Ocean smiled holding his hand.

"Hey, I’m all right now. You don’t have to worry."

Sol gave him a wry smile before shaking his head.

"Besides, who’s the God of Dragons?" Ocean asked and Sol’s eyebrows twitched.

"Why... do you ask?"

Ocean smiled, "Well, I was just wondering."

In Ocean’s head, the God of Dragons was an old man with long white hair and white beard looking somewhere between Zeus and Odin but better than either.

They went for breakfast together and Ocean took his seat at the head of the table, everyone looked pretty normal except they all were more attentive to Ocean. Their gazes lingered tad bit more on him and they asked him twice of his health and if he wanted something.

Ocean surmised that it was because he had collapsed and appeared before them in that state so, they were trying to make sure that he was all right. He didn’t say anything to them regarding this and answered them respectively finding their concern endearing.

"Master, here eat this pie!"

"Master, we brewed this broth especially for you!"

"Master, try these as well!"

Ocean was famished so all the fawning was welcome.

After a while of having being showered with the love and attention of his household’s personnel. He recieved the word that Silas had arrived.

The two met in Ocean’s library and Silas placed down the new mana stone brooch on the table. Ocean picked it up with a smile and studied it carefully. It was as good as new.

"Thank you, Uncle." Ocean spoke without moving his eyes from the brooch.

"I talked with Alys," Silas said and Ocean hummed while proceeding to hook the brooch to his shirt.

"She says she is willing to go back to the royal palace again, if you’re going." He said and Ocean chuckled looking up at him after he was done placing his brooch on.

"She seems to have taken to her Uncle."

Silas looked like he had chewed on lemon, "You know it’s dangerous."

"And you know, I’ll be with her. Besides, her uncle dotes on her so, if the Golden Serpent were to do something she’ll be struck down." Ocean spoke.

It didn’t seem to ease Silas’ worry and Ocean added.

"i had some idea that he loved his family, but after knowing that his beloved brother was assassinated by someone, he’s willing to let me cut them all down."

Silas’ eyes widened, "What?!"

Ocean smiled innocently as if what he said a moment ago wasn’t exactly capable of altering the foundation of the kingdom.

"H-He is supporting you to get rid of the Queen?"

Ocean scoffed, chuckling, "Aw, Uncle. Don’t phrase it like that, it sounds like a treason. Besides, he was almost on the verge of getting himself brain dead."

Silas’ eyes grew even wider hearing that, "He was being fed the Grileri tea and when he noticed it was a piece of cake to win his side. Now I have to visit the royal palace every week to ease his addiction."

Silas gave him a look hearing that, "And how exactly will you do that? Can’t you just heal him at once?"

"And lose the control that I could have over him? Hell no." Ocean said.

Silas sighed running a hand through his hair, "What are you planning now? And what made him believe that the Golden Serpent was involved in Prince Soros’s assassination in the first place?"

Ocean grinned, "Remember Douglas Clark?"

Ocean told him about Douglas’ will and Silas was stunned hearing that Ocean was at the point to use the trump card he had in hand to evict the Queen.

"I just gave him one page and he knew what it meant. I haven’t told him that the rest of the pages are with me, he believes that the Golden Serpent has either destroyed those papers or they are missing."

"And you will provide him with them to keep his hatred for her growing?" Silas surmised.

Ocean chuckled keeping on a smirk, "Yes, we can’t have them becoming allies, though that’s unlikely now. And also, I made sure that the Golden Serpent now can’t do anything."

"What do you mean?" Silas frowned and Ocean’s smirk darkened.

"I have a plan to flush out her dirty tricks."