Lanling and Orion quickly signed a blood contract to formalize their partnership.
Blood contracts were overseen by the world itself, and their objectivity made them highly regarded among both the nobility and the underworld. However, due to the severity of the punishment for failing to meet the terms, they were generally used only as a last resort.
There was only one punishment: death.
Orion had already been staring death in the face for the past few years, so he didn't even acknowledge the threat.
Lanling didn't hesitate either, letting his blood fall onto the parchment and calmly watching as his name was etched into the contract, as if death were of no concern.
Haruki was startled to realize that he had wordlessly watched the entire process, without a single worry in his heart. An overwhelming confidence that Lanling would unlock Orion's potential welled up inside him. He had heard stories of mortals who went through their lives never unlocking their potential, and he knew there was no such thing as a spell to unlock it.
So, where was Lanling's confidence coming from? And why did it feel so… normal to him?
Haruki struggled to suppress the urge to delve into his own past. His curiosity clawed at his mind, but his loyalty to Lanling thankfully overpowered it.
A mage soon dropped by to pass Lanling some mana for him to extract Orion's memory. This was Lanling's demand, as he wanted to see the mysterious man himself, not just a sketch drawn on paper.
A few minutes later, the memory was passed, and Lanling completely covered his face with his hands while a heavy sigh escaped him.
Despair seemed to have gripped him.
"Lanling? What's wrong? What did you see?" Haruki panicked internally, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of Lanling's face.
Lanling groaned. "We need to leave for the capital as soon as possible."
Haruki heard him sharply inhale before letting it all out at once. When Lanling dropped his hands and revealed his face, Haruki's heart ached at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes and the devastation they contained.
Lanling's usual calmness now seemed like an illusion, seeing him like this.
"There is a man," Lanling started to say, his voice hoarse and strained as he shifted from anger to pain.
"A man that you must never meet again."
He closed his eyes, making one last attempt to calm the hurricane of emotions trying to drag him back into the past.
Orion frowned. "How dangerous is this man for someone like you to act like this?" He no longer bothered with formalities, as there was no reason anymore. It was also just the three of them in the tent.
Lanling massaged the bridge of his nose, his head aching after suppressing all that was about to resurface. His calm facade looked exhausted as he met Orion's gaze.
"I've killed him twice already. Made sure his body was burnt to ashes, separated it into ten jars, and spread it across ten different directions." His voice was void of emotion, sounding utterly monotonic.
He let out another sigh, helpless. "I don't know how to kill that man."
Haruki and Orion were shocked. Orion had heard of Lanling's achievements, and coupled with how confident he had been earlier about giving him the throne, he never thought that someone would trouble Lanling so much.
Haruki was in a much worse state than Orion. He had blind confidence, and he understood that it was deeply connected to how he and Lanling had interacted in the past, so he simply accepted it. But seeing Lanling fear this man—yes, he saw it clearly, it was fear—made him understand how grave the situation was.
"What else do we need to do here?" Haruki asked, pulling Lanling's hand to his own and rubbing the back of his thumb against his. He hoped that through this small gesture, he could reassure him with his presence.
Lanling's gaze trailed to their interlocked hands, blinking as his mind cleared of unwanted thoughts.
His face softened.
"We need to go back to the swamp and check the situation." Lanling's voice had returned to normal, and he glanced back at Orion. "And I need you to act as a hostage for a temporary truce."
Orion sighed in relief before freezing, realizing that he had been caught in the tense atmosphere and was actually worried for these two strangers in front of him. He shook his head. "You can give it a try. I doubt I have much value, however."
"Being royalty is enough. Even if they didn't care about you, they care much about their faces." Lanling waved his free hand to dismiss the doubt.
Haruki tilted his head as a problem rose in his mind. "It'll be half a day's travel back to the swamp, normally. Who's the fastest person in the camp?"
Lanling met his gaze and blinked, suppressing the urge to chuckle at his lack of self-awareness while also savoring the peacefulness Haruki naturally brought.
He really was the sun in his bleak world.
"Is it not you?" Lanling arched an eyebrow in question.
"Huh? Oh! Oh yeah~" Haruki broke into a silly grin as he slapped his forehead. "Then when should we depart? You're coming with me, right?"
"You're going to leave the camp?" Orion chimed in, disbelief in his voice.
"My camp doesn't need a general to function, Prince. They can take care of themselves for a day."
"Even still, you just stated that this mysterious man is a devil."
"That was figurative. But he could definitely pass as a demon in hell if he wanted to."
Lanling tightened his hold on Haruki's hand and found that he could speak normally without his emotions derailing his thoughts. He smiled softly, then bitterly.
"I know what he wants and its not the army."
After discussing their next steps, Lanling wasted no time gathering Mainu, Baili, Xuzhan, and Old Jin for a meeting. He left them with the necessary commands for the army's safety and temporarily elevated Old Jin to acting general.
Haruki held Lanling's hand throughout, carefully observing his expressions and immediately pulling Lanling back to reality whenever he sensed a trace of gloom. If his words weren't enough, a peck on his forehead, then his cheek, and finally his lips always did the trick.
Lanling's ears would turn red instantly, and his heart would melt.
'Seriously, how can I not love this man.' Lanling thought.