Chapter 653 Devil's Dilemma
Abel sat on a chair, thinking with his chin on his hands. His eyes stared directly at Mira, Selica, and Roberta, who sat facing him. In the background, you could hear a woman moaning as they were in the elephant's trunk guest room.
"A devil's contract," He mumbled, "For all I know, those are absolute," He looked at them, "Me and Sara live here in Alina. We don't have any notable rank. And even if we had a high rank. It's impossible to void a contract. They were made so they can't be broken by either the devil or the humanoids."
"Don't you have any idea how to get out of it?" Selica stared at him, "You must know something, seeing as those two trust you,"
"You can try negotiating with the devil and see if you can agree to change the terms. The content of a contract can always be modified if the two parties agree," Abel leaned back on his chair, looking at the ceiling, "This is a shitty mud pit to get stuck in. People might think that at least it can be solved by words and negotiations it's more accessible and easier to navigate. But that couldn't be more wrong." He looked toward Roberta, "It's a hundred times easier to solve problems like this with blood than to be stuck with a contract. But alas, we can't kill our way out of this,"
"You talk about killing as if it's a simple thing," Roberta looked at him, confused at his words. "Can't we just have a paladin smite him?"
"If it was that easy, no one would consider the devil's contract a danger. The moment an accessible solution to a problem emerges, that problem is no longer problematic. It becomes a mere task." He lifted his hand, waving it and conjuring a small locked box, "If all people could open this lock, I wouldn't bother locking it in the first place as that would be meaningless."
CLICK! The main door opened, and Sara walked in, looking around and hearing the customers moaning in the back, "Abel, didn't I tell you to make the walls thicker?"
"I did. The girls are just loud." Abel replied, but almost immediately they heard a man's moan, "And Jeffrey, he's loud as well," Abel sighed, smacking the wall with his fist, "I'll throw you out naked! Keep it down!"
Sara walked toward the girls and smiled, "Sorry for meeting you in such a place," She smiled, sitting down beside Roberta, "I was told you have a problem that I and brother might be able to help with,"
"A devil's contract," Abel said.
Sara looked toward Roberta, "You signed a devil's contract?!"
"Mom made me do it when I was a little girl, but she's dead now," Roberta looked down.
Mira grunted, "Isn't it unfair for a devil to accept a contract signed by a child?"
"Roberta's mother is to blame here and not the devil," Sara looked at them. "Devils aren't upheld by human morals. They only care that you signed it. You can be a fetus for all they care. The blame is on Roberta's mother, making her own daughter sign a deal with the devil,"
"It's already done," Selica looked at Sara, "Let's leave it in the past and think of a way to get out of the contract,"
"There is a simple way," Sara looked at them with a serious face, "But it's risky,"
Everyone stared at her, even Abel gasped, "You don't mean that!"
Sara nodded, "Swim with the flow. Let the devil win and enslave Roberta. And then go save her from his house in the hells,"
"Devils are immortal in hell, and let's not forget the immense power they hold and the suffering of hell. No mortal could survive there without having their entire existence be a constant searing agony." Abel tapped the table, "Beating the devil in his own house is out of the question,"
"It's the clearest path," Sara looked at her brother, "We need to put all options on the table,"
"If you killed a devil in hell, he'll revive at the spot. They also gain a massive power boost from being inside their house due to enchantments, the overflow of cursed mana, and their own magic and minions. And on top of all of that, they are the jailers of the sinners. You'll be weak to their attacks if you're trying to commit the sin of stealing in front of them, and that if you were a holy priest-monk of goodness before." Abel explained.
"What about Arad?" Sara smiled.
"He is...wait, a dragon," Abel smiled, "They don't steal..." He giggled, "This might work, but is he strong enough to beat that devil? We don't know how that thing is strong, do we?"
"Sena might know how strong that devil is,"
"Wait," Mira stared at them, "If Arad is trying to steal Roberta back from the devil, he's stealing."
"For dragons, wealth is for those strong enough to take it. To them, it's not a crime to steal, as long as they beat you and prove they are the strongest." Sena smiled, "He'll be fine on that side, as long as he didn't commit any crimes before."
"Does killing a red dragon that came to kill a red wyrmling count?" Mira looked at her.
"No, he was protecting a wyrmling,"
"I'm sure he hunted a young dragon when he was a wyrmling," Mira added.
"That might count as murder if he initiated the fight. If Arad got counted as a sinner in hell, the devil would have an advantage over him," Sara scratched her head, "We need an expert's opinion,"
"Killing humans doesn't count?" Roberta looked at Mira, "I'm sure it's best if we leave Arad out of this, I don't want him to end up harmed in hell because of me,"
"Humans don't count as far as I know," Sara shook her head, "Humanoids are like ants to dragons. A man won't be judged by the count of ants he killed, Although metallic dragons are fighting to make that count, and they do get judged for killing humans in hell."
"The reality," Abel looked a them, "We're a bunch of ignorant children discussing the cosmic laws of the hells. We probably shouldn't put a plan without finding an actual expert, someone that lived in the hells."
"Do you suggest we summon a devil?" Sara stared at him.
"I suggest you pray at least once to Asmodeus and see if she responds. You're a priestess of her, right?" Abel looked at Sara.
"Do you know you're talking about that Asmodeus? The queen of hell herself? To her, contracts are the most sacred. Asking me to talk her into voiding one is like asking god to burn his own scriptures. I'll end up cursed, and she might drag us all down," Sara stared at her brother.
"Come on," He waved his hand, "What I've heard about her, she's quite chill."
"How many Asmodeus there are?" Sara stared at him.
"One,"
"You know nothing, so let me handle this," Sara sighed, "There are two Asmodeus, they are twins. One is merciful and the other is vengeful, calling upon them would bring us more harm than help,"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢