Strongest Hammer God

Chapter 776 - Renegotiation

ʼI know I canʼt lie, but he also knows that,ʼ Kyle thought. ʼTalking about these things openly is rarely a good idea. Directly addressing such things can quickly ruin something that wouldnʼt have been ruined otherwise.ʼ

This situation was similar to a boss asking their employee about their political or religious beliefs. If these things werenʼt addressed or talked about, everyone could still keep their opinions to themselves, and they could keep working together.

Yet, by addressing them, a personal rift could be created between the two parties, ruining the working relationship.

”Well, Kyle said, ”itʼs complicated.”

The Lord just nodded, motioning for Kyle to continue.

”I made a couple of close friends in the Array of Stars, and I donʼt want to betray them, but I also canʼt deny that I have accepted this job. Without the Cultʼs help, I wouldnʼt even have these friends, but at the same time, I also canʼt say that Iʼm fine with betraying them.”

”Itʼs a conflict between what I should do and what I want to do. I canʼt say that the Cult has treated me badly. In fact, youʼve treated me very well. You did not come to me to ask me to join you. You left that decision up to me. Sure, I wouldʼve probably died if I didnʼt join at some point, but thatʼs more the fault of the situation I was in.”

”I donʼt want to betray everyone I know, but if I come clean to the Array of Stars about my affiliation, one or both of you will kill me. So, Iʼm kinda stuck in a bad situation. Do you see the problem?” Kyle asked.

The Lord nodded. ”This is why the Cult operates on a basis of cooperation. You must have a certain freedom in your choices. Strong-arming works on the vast majority of the members, but trying to force the truly powerful members into doing what the Cult wants will cost us.”

”We do not tell our powerful members what they need to do. They are free to offer us something of value, and we will repay them in kind. This is an unbreakable decree of our God. Power must be respected.”

”You have shown your value, the Lord said. ”By forcing you into something, we might lose a valuable partner. We can amend your terms of employment as a Parasite.”

”You will make some promises, and we will make some promises. For a start, assuming you also promise us some things, I can make an oath to our God that neither I, nor any of the people I control, will force you to do anything you do not agree with until you become an Immortal.”

Kyle blinked a couple of times in surprise.

ʼUntil Iʼm an Immortal?” he thought. ʼThat... thatʼs so far away! I might never even become an Immortal!ʼ

”What about afterwards?” Kyle asked.

”An oath is binding,” the Lord said, ”but when the duration of an oath ends, it doesnʼt necessarily mean that the Seeker who spoke the oath will immediately do the opposite. In this case, it just means that the possibility is back on the table and can be renegotiated.

Kyle furrowed his brows.

It still sounded a bit sketchy, but that was already better than what he had currently. Right now, the Lord could just order Kyle to get to information gathering, and there would be no way for Kyle to refuse without dying.

”What about members of the Cult?” Kyle asked.

”I can not make an oath involving people I have no control over. I can only swear that I will also not try to influence them or circumvent the oath with indirect means. If one of the other Lords gets involved without my permission and forces you to do something, I would die, assuming I included them in the oath,” the Lord explained.

Kyle sighed. ”Yeah, I can see that, and yes, I would be interested in the oath. What do you want me to promise?”

”First,” the Lord said, ”I want you to swear that you will not talk about your affiliation with us until youʼre an Immortal. Your oath will end when our oath ends.”

Kyle nodded. He wasnʼt planning on doing that anyway.

”Second, we want you to consider us when you need help,” the Lord said.

Kyle blinked in surprise.

That was... a weird promise.

However, before Kyle could ask any questions, the Lord continued talking. ”Since your terms of employment will change, the old relationship between duty and reward is no more. In the past, you were essentially buying our help on credit. Now, you need to repay us for our last act of assistance before we will give you another one.”

”If you want help from us, you need to give us something in return.”

”I get it,” Kyle said with a nod. ”Yes, I can promise that as well.”

”Lastly,” the Lord said, ”we want you to promise us that you will not share our secrets with people not part of the Cult of Final Fate. This oath may also be limited until youʼre an Immortal.”

Kyle nodded. ”Thatʼs fair. I accept.”

The Lord nodded and spoke a lengthy oath. It was worded very accurately and deliberately.

From what Kyle could hear, there was no way for the Lord to circumvent the oath.

When the Lord was done, Kyle spoke his oath.

All of his oaths were also limited to the first Nine Realms. As soon as he became an Immortal, all oaths would be null and void.

”Does that calm some of your worries?” the Lord asked.

Kyle nodded, ”It did.”

ʼI mean, itʼs not perfect, but at least thereʼs not as much uncertainty anymore. Previously, it was possible that the Lord could force me to betray my friends whenever he wanted. Now, Iʼm safe until Iʼm an Immortal.ʼ

”Who knows how things will look by then? Will I still have friends?”

”Now,” the Lord said, ”am I right in assuming that you didnʼt reach out to me just to check in?

Kyle scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ”Yeah, some things have happened. I didnʼt exactly call you to get some help, but to hurt two Organizations that are currently messing with me. I thought giving the Cult some information about them would hurt them.”

The Lord nodded, ”Tell me.”

Then, Kyle told the Lord about the Secondary Sector and what had happened.

”There are some interesting bits of information in your story,” the Lord said. ”The Head of Dawnlight will most likely become a Legendary Crusher, making him one of our eligible targets. We could send someone to assassinate him.”

”But you do not want that to happen for two reasons,” the Lord said.

”Two? Kyle thought. ʼI can only think of one.ʼ

”You have the talent and capabilities to kill him yourself, the Lord said. ”I would assume you would want to kill him yourself.”

”Thatʼs the reason, yes, Kyle thought as he nodded.

”However, the other reason is more important, the Lord said. ”If we arrive in the Secondary Sector, the Contrast Empire can justify sending several powerful Seekers there as well. If a random criminal dies during that event, nobody would notice or care.”

ʼOh shit!ʼ Kyle thought as he felt like he had just dodged a bullet. ʼRight! The Cult can attack any place they want, and the Contrast Empire can react!ʼ

”Thereʼs also something else that you told me about,” the Lord said. ”You just mentioned it as a random comment and didnʼt go into the details, but this bit of information can actually earn you a lot of points with us.”

”Oh?” Kyle asked. ”What?”

”We do know that the Contrast Empire and the Array of Stars are holding secret battles with each other,” the Lord said. ”You said you were part of one of these battles.”

”While we do know about the battles, we do not know the location of their secret arenas. Youʼve been in one of them.”

”You also told us that the local Countess and the local Chief Overseer are present during these battles.”

The Lord looked with interest at Kyle.

Meanwhile, Kyle started to sweat.

His words could end the lives of two Immortals.