I always hate Mondays.
Especially because I just got shot on the job and in front of so many people.
I touched the source of the sharp burning pain. It was my left shoulder. When I looked at my hand, blood is already coming out.
"Screw Mondays man. I never get my shit on Mondays." I muttered to myself as I stood up as if nothing happened.
I looked at the hostage-taker who is still stressed as ever. He tightened his grip on the princess' shoulder, making her utter a short, painful cry.
"Kya! Stop it, Sir Wingate!" the princess wailed. "You're hurting me!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" The hostage-taker pressed his gun to the princess's right cheek. "Don't struggle, or I'll shoot!"
The hostage-taker is running out of patience. One wrong move and the princess is dead. I have to act now.
"Hi, Sir Elros Wingate!" I raised my voice and waived my hand.
"How do you know my name!?" The hostage-taker shouted back.
"My name is Ulysses Corasell, a Dragon Sage from the Library. I came here to talk!" I started to take a few steps forward.
"Don't come closer!" The hostage-taker cried as he pointed his gun at me once again. "Or I'll shoot! I won't miss a vital organ next time!"
"I came here in peace, Sir Wingate! I do not wish for violence! Let us negotiate!"
"Are you armed!?" the hostage-taker asked. "Are you using any spell!?"
"No!" I spread out my arms to show that I'm clean. "You have to trust me, Sir Wingate! Just let the princess go, and I can guarantee your safety."
"I will not! I do not care what happens to me, as long as I get my revenge! The Royal Family are a bunch of demons! And I will be satisfied once this bitch's brain is splattered in this very castle!" The hostage-taker drilled his gun towards the princess's head, giving her intense pain.
"S-Stop! Help me, please!" The princess cried.
All of a sudden, a VTOL airship appeared in the skies. A sniper gun was deployed at the bottom part of the VTOL airship, trying to aim the hostage-taker's head.
However, they can't risk pulling the trigger now because the hostage-taker is standing at the tip of the ledge of the castle wall. If they manage to kill the hostage-taker, the princess will fall to her death.
The wind coming from the propeller of the airship made a small hurricane around the scene.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll jump!" The hostage-taker shouted at the VTOL airship.
This is getting worse than I thought. I have to play my cards in proper order and at the right time. I inhaled for more air and then continued to take baby steps closer.
"I know you, Sir Wingate. You served the Royal Family as a Royal Knight for twenty years. You have two sons, Moby and Remy. You took care of them ever since your wife passed away ten years ago."
"How did you know that!?"
"I've read your records. I also know that your children went missing, and you blame the Royal Family for it. The Royal Family fired you from being a knight because of your allegations."
"I am not lying! It was because of the Royal Family's fault!" The hostage-taker cried. "They took Moby and Remy from me! That damn Viridescia brat subjected my kids to horrific experiments! All for the sake of a thesis! He's a Dragon Sage, just like you! There's no way I could trust your word! You aristocrats are all the same!"
The rotors of the VTOL airship make it hard to hear the conversation. My ears are already ringing, and I'm sure the hostage-taker is getting pissed too.
"Aaaah! I can't stand that noise!" The hostage-taker cried. He pointed his gun towards the VTOL airship. "Go away! Go away!"
If this goes on, the hostage-taker might get erratic.
I looked at the VTOL airship and raised my hand. I swirled my arm and then pointed to the left. The operator of the airship immediately knows what I'm trying to say with my hand signs.
"The situation is under control by the Dragon Sage. Retreating to the landing point, over." The VTOL operator said via radio.
Finally, the air is calm and silent once again. The absence of a flying death machine calmed the hostage-taker down, but he's still holding the princess hostage.
"I did what you wanted! Now release the princess, Sir Wingate. Disable the Heartstopper Curse. I promise you will not be harmed."
"I will not trust a Dragon Sage like you!" The hostage-taker cried.
I think it's time for my final card.
I spread out my right hand, and a magical circle materialized. The magical circle created an old scroll with some writings in it.
"Is that-"
"A Magical Contract." I smiled. "This binds the party's souls to an agreement, and the person who breached the terms of the contract will immediately die."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I told you, Sir Wingate. All I want is everybody's safety."
I gathered blood from my bleeding left shoulder and used it as ink to sign the contract. As I talk, the Magical Contract recorded my words by creating letters on the said scroll.
"I, Ulysses Corasell, shall promise that I, and the Royal Guards will not harm Sir Elros Wingate, and let him free. Sir Elros Wingate shall also have his crime extinguished, and he shall become a free man once this contract is executed. However, Sir Elros Wingate shall not harm the princess in any manner for this day only. Any breach on any of the provisions of this contract shall result in the immediate death of the breaching party."
There was a hope glimmering in the hostage-taker's eyes. He knew that this Magical Contract can be trusted. He knew that he could escape this mess once he signs this contract. And he knew he can have a brand-new chance to kill the princess tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the Royal Guard Captain is shouting mad at me. "Are you radical!? Why are you letting a criminal escape!? Why are you including a provision that specifically kills the princess!? What side are you on!? You're nuts!"
I just ignored the complaints of the Royal Guard Captain and talked to the hostage-taker with a bright smile on my face.
"There. I gave you a chance to escape this mess, and you can kill the princess next time. The Royal Guard shall have no power to oppose you. I do not care what happens to the princess tomorrow anyway. I just need my service credit for this emergency quest." I said.
"You are nuts." The hostage-taker laughed. "But I don't want to die. With that Magical Contract, I will trust you."
The hostage-taker bit his thumb and signed on the Magical Contract with his blood. The Magical Contract glowed gold, and finally, it bonded our souls in the agreements stated in the paper.
The hostage-taker finally let go of the princess. I held the princess' hand and gently pulled her away from the hostage-taker. The dark magical circle on her chest faded, which means the Heartstopper Curse is no longer there.
Mission complete.
"Your grace, are you okay?" I muttered to the silver-haired teenager princess.
"I'm fine, Lord Corasell." She said in a shy tone. "Thank you for saving me."
Looking from up close, Princess Amaryllis Viridescia is a beauty. She has a child-like face, porcelain-white skin, and a thin build. Her gray eyes are captivatingly adorable. Judging from the weight of her soft hand, she might be a lot lighter than most teenage girls.
Meanwhile, the hostage-taker Sir Elros Wingate looked up at the blue skies with a smug. His eyes are wide open, but his pupils are now as small as a dot. His sclera is filled with red veins. This guy is pure crazy to the bone.
The retired knight looked at the princess with a silent threat: I will come back for you.
However, he will never come back to hurt the princess anymore.
All of a sudden, a woman with long dark-blue hair, wearing a blue kimono and blue frilly short skirt ascended to the top of the ledge with the help of her sword wings. It was my Dragonoid Contractor Yehanna Lancelot, on her Partial Dragon Form. While in Partial Dragon Form, she retains her humanoid form but has the option to materialize her dragon wings proportionate to her size.
"What the-!"
Sir Elros Wingate only managed to see the ruby-colored eyes of the person who is destined to end him.
With a single swift slash on the hostage-taker's back, the katana cleanly sliced through his ribcage, spine, lungs, and heart. It was an instant-death attack.
However, before Sir Elros Wingate hit the ground, he mustered his remaining strength to glare at me and talk while blood comes out from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
"Curse you... Ulysses Corasell... You lied to me."