novelraw Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2. Evil with Evil
The moment I said to Lancelot, "Let's make a deal."
“A deal? How dare a criminal bastard talk about a deal?!”
It was Kyle who got worked up and stepped forward.
But I didn't back down.
To be precise, it was closer to desperately not showing I was scared.
The me right now was the Black God, Riman Solaris.
The one imprisoned in the deepest part of Mugan, the one who had been incarcerated for the longest time, the worst of criminals, and the final boss slated to decorate the finale of this game.
Therefore, there was a natural dignity and pressure that exuded from me, and I had to utilize it to the fullest.
It was the only weapon I had right now.
I looked straight at Kyle and spoke.
“What's the problem with proposing a deal? Don't you know that Article 4 of the Special Act of the World Federation Criminal Law explicitly allows for judicial deals?”
A judicial deal.
A deal made between a criminal and a judge.
The criminal provides information helpful in proving charges or solving a case, and in return, the judge reduces the sentence or grants other legal benefits.
The 'deal' I was proposing to Kyle and Lancelot right now was precisely this judicial deal.
'It was a good thing I memorized the lore.'
The official
Not all the articles, of course, but mainly those related to in-game events.
The section on judicial deals was one of them.
And I had almost all those articles memorized.
As I came out logically, even citing the legal articles, Lancelot showed a reaction.
“…A judicial deal. Yes, the proposal itself is reasonable.”
“Brother!”
“Kyle, I can exercise judicial power in an emergency. His words are sound.”
Okay, the reaction I wanted was coming.
Thanks, Lancelot, you man of principles.
“…But Riman, I don't know if your proposal will be able to satisfy me.”
As he said that, a chilling killing intent flickered in Lancelot's eyes.
I swallowed my saliva very quietly.
Lancelot Powell, this guy was an extreme man of principles, but at the same time, he was someone who despised criminals.
In fact, his level of hatred for criminals was greater than Kyle's.
He just didn't show it as openly as Kyle did.
It meant that if I had taken even one step out of the cell, he was a man who would have chopped me to pieces in an instant.
Therefore, he had never once made a judicial deal in the game.
He only allowed the proposal itself because it existed in the law.
That's why me pulling out the judicial deal card against Lancelot was a low-probability gamble.
Nevertheless, I couldn't back down.
Because there was no other way besides this card.
I said.
“…Once you hear it, you'll find it tempting.”
“Speak.”
“I will cooperate in catching the escaped prisoners.”
“There's no need to hear more. Prepare for transfer……”
“Those escaped convicts have spread all over the globe. With just the Federation forces and each nation's security forces, you'll never catch them in a short time. But I can drastically reduce that time.”
“And you want me to release you for that? You, the most dangerous prisoner in this prison?”
“Why am I dangerous?”
“What?”
Lancelot was momentarily dumbfounded.
“…Do you not even know what crimes you've committed?”
I didn't.
Because there was no information in the game about what the hell this Black God bastard did to get thrown into Mugan.
Still, I pushed on.
“Aren't the crimes I committed and my current dangerousness separate issues?”
“How can they be separate……”
“Think about it. If I were truly a dangerous guy, would I be having this conversation with you right now?”
“……!”
Lancelot was momentarily at a loss for words.
I didn't miss this timing.
“Prisoners much weaker than me broke their restraints and escaped. I could have done so too. I had the chance to escape, and I had the strength. But I waited here quietly for you.”
…Honestly, I missed the timing, so I couldn't get out.
But anyway.
“If I were as dangerous a guy as you think, you wouldn't have even seen my face. I'd already be sipping a glass of Hatersmark in some big city bar by now.”
“What is it that you want?”
Good.
The conversation had finally progressed this far.
A giant leap forward.
The guy who was about to blatantly dismiss my proposal was now seriously considering it.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
This was the seventh ridge.
Either I reach the goal, or I roll back down.
Desperately composing my explosive tension, I carefully chose the words for my next sentence.
“I want freedom. Legal and just freedom.”
“Freedom, you say.”
“And for that, I am prepared to do anything.”
“I'm curious. What on earth changed you like this?”
My personality actually did change.
Since I couldn't say that, I started to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Do you know the official name of this place, Mugan?”
“Why do you ask?”
“World Federation Correctional Institution No. 0. That is the official name of this place.”
“So why are you suddenly talking about that……”
“It's to remind you that the ultimate purpose of this place's establishment is correction, not punishment.”
“…So you're saying you were corrected and reformed here? And that's why you're no longer dangerous?”
“What more proof do I need to show you?”
I could have run, but I didn't.
I could have resisted, but I didn't fight.
I had already sufficiently shown my reformation.
“I respected your laws and bowed my head as far as I could. So now it's your turn to respond. Will you accept my proposal?”
“…It's certainly a tempting proposal.”
“In that case……”
“But no.”
“Hmm? And why is that?”
I deliberately put on a blatantly displeased expression.
But Lancelot didn't back down an inch in this battle of wills.
“Riman, if you were reformed and turned to good, it also means there's a possibility you could turn back to evil. For us, there's no way to control that change of heart if we release you. That is the reason we cannot release you.”
“……”
“I apologize. For giving you useless hope.”
I had actually expected him to come out like this.
Lancelot Powell, an extreme man of principles.
But as long as it didn't violate his principles, he had no hesitation in revealing his intentions.
It was up to him to decide whether or not to accept my judicial deal, so whatever judgment he made would not violate his principles.
And he despised criminals, me.
Therefore, it wasn't strange for him to call off the judicial deal with me.
Yet, despite having anticipated this to some extent, I had dragged the conversation this far.
There was one reason.
As long as I had succeeded in stalling for time until this point, it meant I had one more card to play.
I knew.
What would happen right after the Great Breakout.
Beep-
At that moment, the in-ear device in Lancelot's ear delivered some news.
Lancelot's expression suddenly hardened.
'It happened.'
The Rock Point Power Plant suicide bombing incident.
I had a gut feeling that my prediction was correct.
* * *
Right after the Great Breakout.
Some of the escaped convicts, who were fanatics, carried out a suicide bombing at the Rock Point Power Plant in the United States.
One of the largest magic stone power plants on the planet.
This incident caused a city to evaporate, resulting in 400,000 deaths.
And the urgent news Lancelot had just heard through his in-ear was about that.
'400,000 dead…?'
The aftermath of the Great Breakout was already beginning to show.
And on a massive scale, in the worst possible form.
The prisoners who escaped in the Great Breakout were no ordinary prisoners.
Each one was one of Earth's worst criminals, guys who possessed power befitting their infamy.
And guys like that were scattered all over the world.
If that was the case, the longer they were left loose in society, the more the damage would increase exponentially.
They had to kill the escaped convicts as quickly as possible, by any means necessary.
Lancelot looked at Riman.
His pupils were trembling slightly.
'Should I… accept the deal?'
Lancelot's mission was to protect the peace and safety of the world's citizens.
He had never forgotten this mission for a single moment since enlisting in the World Federation Army.
But right now, people were dying with every second he hesitated.
He had to make a decision.
Whether to transfer Riman, or to use Riman.
'Is it just to cooperate with evil to catch evil?'
He knew it was not ethically right.
But just a moment ago, Riman had proposed a way to cooperate under the principles of the law.
A judicial deal.
If he just agreed to this, he would be able to command the formidable power of the Black God.
Naturally, he would be able to bring this world-scale chaos under control more quickly.
But still, the idea of joining hands with evil created a fierce conflict in his heart.
Watching Lancelot, Riman thought.
'Decide quickly. People are dying while you're doing that.'
Riman knew Lancelot's personality well.
He was not a man who would stand by and watch innocent civilians die.
As long as it was within the bounds of law and principles, he would adopt any means necessary.
And the best choice Lancelot could make right now was to join hands with Riman and begin capturing the escaped convicts.
'This is why I dragged out the conversation until this point.'
I threw out the bait of a judicial deal.
And I dragged out the conversation until the Rock Point Power Plant suicide bombing occurred, making his heart waver.
I did everything I could.
All that was left was Lancelot's choice.
A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed.
And Lancelot made his choice.
Swoosh-
Lancelot took out a rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket.
Riman recognized what that paper was at a glance.
'A Pledge Memorandum…!'
It was a contract imbued with magic.
The contents written on that contract had to be absolutely followed.
If the contract's terms were broken, the one who broke them would die.
Seeing the Pledge Memorandum, Kyle was startled and said.
“Brother?! That precious thing… No, are you really going to accept that criminal bastard's deal?!”
Instead of answering, Lancelot spread the blank Pledge Memorandum on the prison table.
And he said to Riman.
“State your demands.”
“First, pay me the bounty on the escaped convicts every time I catch one. I need money to move around too.”
“I will pay only 5%. If I were to treat you, a criminal, equally with an innocent, ordinary bounty hunter, that in itself would be an unequal treatment.”
“That's…!”
I was about to say that 5% was too much of a lowball, but I stopped.
I couldn't let something like this cause a setback in a negotiation that was so hard to establish.
More than anything, getting out of here and gaining freedom was the most important thing right now, regardless of money.
And if I ran short of money, I could just take on other requests to make up for it.
Riman said.
“…5%, I accept.”
“Good.”
“And the moment it's confirmed that all escaped convicts have been captured or killed, grant me a pardon for my sentence.”
“I accept. But I have a condition as well.”
“What condition?”
“You will wear a device or magic that transmits your location to me in real-time.”
“Agreed. But also specify that it will be removed upon confirmation of my pardon.”
“Accepted. And if I judge that you are not cooperating sincerely, you will die by my hand.”
“…Okay, agreed.”
After adjusting a few other details, Riman and Lancelot pressed their thumbprints on the memorandum.
Sizzzle…
With a sound like being branded by a hot iron, Riman's and Lancelot's fingerprints were imprinted.
Now, even if this contract were to burn and disappear, its contents would be maintained.
And without the consent of both parties, the contents of the contract could not be modified.
With this, the deal was made.
The judicial deal between Lancelot and a criminal, something that had never once been successfully made in the history of the game.
At this monumental moment.
Kyle's face, who was watching this, was rotting.