Who Said A Necromancer Can't Be A Priest?-Chapter 97: Deal

"Even if you say you want freedom, I can't allow it now," the Emperor barked. "We could have discussed that if you hadn't gotten the reporters involved."

Aaran couldn't help but chuckle at the Emperor's method of deflecting blame. They both knew why Aaran informed the press about his identity, yet the emperor was twisting the tale.

"Would we be here negotiating if I didn't inform them?" Aaran scoffed, shaking his head. "Besides, demanding freedom would take all the fun out of this, won't you agree?"

The Emperor stared at Aaran, wondering what was going inside his head. Despite being at the odds, he knew the boy's mind worked in strange ways. He must have planned everything since the beginning, perhaps even from when he was studying in Excellence.

That's why the Emperor was extremely wary of his former son. After all, he had fooled the entire empire.

"What do you want, then?"

"Two things," Aaran said, lifting two fingers. "First one is a public trial."

Trials for dark mages were often held in secret. While the public thought it was because of the Emperor's concern for them, in truth, it was because they didn't want the truth to be exposed.

The Emperor shook his head. He would never agree to such a request. But then Aaran's smile reminded him of the consequences of not following his demands.

Trantua gripped the armrest so hard it shattered into pieces. Despite his rage, his voice remained calm.

"Agreed. What's the second demand?"

"Trial through combat," Aaran's smile widened. "Perhaps in this case I should say execution through combat."

"Combat?"

Trantua broke down laughing. That was Aaran's big plan? To fight his way to freedom?

Perhaps he had given the boy too much credit. While it was an ingenious plan, it had too many flaws.

First, the cuff he wore couldn't be taken off on their own. They can only be removed in two conditions, one if the person died and had their core destroyed and second, if it absorbed everything it could from someone's core.

In other words, Aaran couldn't use darkness to fight, and his physical capabilities weren't all the strong.

Second, even if he won, people wouldn't leave him be. No matter where he went, he'd be ridiculed and ostracized.

Third, Trantua had no intention of leaving him alive. Even if he won the duel, he would have his assassins kill Aaran. Sure, it would be against the rule, but no one would dare raise a voice against him. Even the people will support and praise him for killing a heretic like Aaran.

After thinking about it, Trantua nodded. All of Aaran's conditions were accepted, but the Emperor had a condition of his own.

"The Necromancer's stone," he said. "You are not allowed to use it. If you do, I reserve the right to recapture and execute you through proper channels."

Aaran gritted his teeth and begrudgingly agreed to it. Trantua was pleased, thinking he deciphered Aaran's big plan. Since the duel would happen on the execution ground, he knew Aaran wanted to use the stone and raise the fallen spirits to aid him.

That's why Trantua put forth a condition of his own.

"To make things fair, I have another condition. Regardless of the outcome, you will not reveal Trantua's secret to the world."

"I agree."

"Take him to the cells! His execution will be scheduled for tomorrow!"

With nothing left to discuss, Donovan grabbed Aaran by the neck and dragged him to the cells.

Trantua was so confident in his victory, he didn't notice the smirk on Aaran's face.

The fucker fell for it.

He smiled, knowing his victory was certain.

***

Aaran was alone after a long time, truly alone. There were no spirits around him, no undead, and certainly no humans. Not even the voice in his head. Just him, alone in the cell.

For food, he was given water from a drain and moldy bread. Perhaps the Emperor didn't want him to survive until tomorrow. Unfortunately for him, Aaran had all the necessary resistance, and enough divinity to turn even the dirtiest water into holy water.

So, Aaran ate what they gave him. It didn't matter whether the food was disgusting. He needed the energy to fight tomorrow.

He was in the middle of eating when he head footsteps and smiled.

"And here I thought you weren't that despicable," he said, looking up. "Hero King Leon D'Albiron."

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Leon's eyes shone as he stared at Aaran before throwing two papers before him. One was the letter he sent to Vericia, warning her she would pay for turning against Aurelia and her friends.

Aaran didn't care if she was his future mother-in-law. That bridge was burned the moment she sided with the Emperor. It was the same case with Leon, who stopped other Virtues from helping Aurelia.

As for the second scroll, it was annulment papers.

"I'm not here to listen to a criminal," Leon said. "Just sign the damn paper and be done with it."

Aaran picked the annulment papers and began laughing. Leon's eyebrow twitched as Aaran threw the papers back at him.

"I'll gladly sigh then once Sera signs on them," he said. "Honestly, I never liked you or your pathetic wife. In fact, I'm surprised the union of two wretched beings brought Seraphina to this world—"

"Watch you mouth—"

"Shut the fuck up, you two-faced son of a bitch!"

Leon was taken aback for a moment. No one had ever talked to him in such a crude manner, but he couldn't utter a word to rebuke Aaran. After all, whatever he said was true.

On one hand, he acted as Lucien's and Amara's best friend, and on the other, he helped the temples attack them. He knew doing so would lead to their deaths, and yet he went ahead with it.

Now the bastard had the guts to stand before Aaran, demanding respect.

"If you want an annulment, tell Seraphina to come to me herself," Aaran said, turning his back to Leon. "And prepare for a funeral while she's at it. Not for me, but for her parents, because I will kill you two. That's my word."