1226 Difficult Times
Date- 5 April 2321
Time- 09:42
Location- Southern Region, Blossom district, Sky Blossom City, Southern Watch Military Camp
“You are telling me if I pay the debt your way, I will not be charged interest on the principal amount I borrowed from you however if I were to pay the debt at my convenience, you will charge me a high-interest rate for the principal amount I borrowed until I return entire principal amount?” I asked understanding what Anna’s grandma was implying.
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“Your highness, I appreciate the fact that you are looking out for me. But I can take care of myself. So please do not worry about me, I know what I am doing,” Understanding that using the hard tone would only make Colleen come at me twice as harder, I decided to approach the soft side of Colleen and reason with her.
I was not worried about repaying the debt and its interest, I can use my share of phantom sword wood ingredient cards that I got from Jill to settle my debt right away. But that would be stupid as I knew that I could fetch more than my debt to the southern royal family for the phantom sword wood ingredient cards if I were to sell them to Jill or auction them.
“Kid, I will be honest with you, nothing you say will change my mind. Why don’t you consider what I am offering you for a second? If you pursue your higher studies in the southern academic region, not only will you not have to worry about your debt but the entire southern region’s resources will be used to groom you. Lorenzo will personally guide you and once you are strong enough you can always go to the central academic region. All I am asking you is to slow down and prioritize your safety first. As long as you are alive you can always do things your way. What’s the hurry?” Colleen too stopped using a harsh tone and patiently explained to the boy that it would all be pointless if he were to die.
‘What’s the hurry?’ these words that Colleen spoke made me think twice and wonder, ‘Yes, what’s the hurry?’
When this thought came to my mind I chuckled and shook my head knowing that what I had done so far was not enough. Having seen Clown Mask’s vision I knew how strong my enemies were and that they would never ask themselves, what’s the hurry? Supreme Leaders, Matron, and Emissary of Light were able to build their individual organizations strong enough to overthrow the current government, royal families, nobles of the central region, and other allied forces from scratch by relying on nobody else but themselves and each of them were successful in achieving what they set out to do. Not to forget the freedom fighters, when I am against such people I don’t think I can afford to wonder, ‘What’s the hurry?’
I know Anna’s grandma was asking me to not take unnecessary risks when the southern royal family was willing to spare no effort to help me grow strong but I think that without taking unnecessary risks I will never be able to grow strong enough to tackle the Supreme Leader, Matron, Emissary of Light or the Freedom Fighters.
If I had not risked my life to destroy the Circle’s sun blossom branch and declare the start of the vengeance I promised Young Wyatt, I would never have fought with Mike Brown and gotten the chance to plunder Mike Brown’s Myriad Devil Body Origin card.
If I had not risked my life to save Anna and instead had chosen to escape, I would have never summoned the Devil merchant Belphegor and learned about Devil Merchant Code and the quota to become a Demon merchant from him. Though I am still not sure what use it would be for me however considering that a high-level devil-like Belphegor was willing to serve the Devil merchant code, then there was definitely something I could benefit from becoming a demon merchant.
I was not denying that I would not be able to grow strong by following the safe method Anna’s grandma suggested. I would grow strong however the ceiling of how strong I could grow was visible from where I stood. And it was nowhere enough for me to face the Supreme Leader, Matron, Emissary of Light, or the Freedom Fighters. But that was not the case for the way I planned for myself, though I cannot promise stable growth in my strength as Anna’s grandmother did I was sure that out there if I were to fail, I would have no one else but myself to blame for my failure.
“Your highness, I have decided, please have your accountants contact me regarding my debt, and its interest rate, and to discuss other terms and conditions,” I said having resolved that I would rather pay the high-interest rates and other unreasonable charges than compromise my freedom. Through no fault of mine I had become a debtor, I guess this was what people meant by difficult times.
“I will see to that,” Colleen said with a frown seeing that the boy did not cave to her pressure.
“Your highness, if you don’t mind me asking, may I ask why did you detain my people that were heading to the central region?” I asked because Ann did not give me a straight answer when asked saying that she was not the commander of the southern watch. And considering that Anna’s grandmother was the general of the southern watch she should able to answer why my people were detained by the southern watch.
“Ah, that, they did not have the proper permit to move from a third-rate city of the southern region to a first-rate city in the central region,” Colleen made up an excuse on the spot.