Chapter 224: Trickster’s Disciple Vs Trickster’s Successor.

Let’s hope I end up in Tartarus or Duat.

Rael thought as he clenched his fist, already wondering what new way he was about to die this time but at least it wasn’t because of some MILF again so he didn’t mind too much.

But instead of an expected death…

The sound of sobbing echoed through the space.

“Big… bro, why are you so… mean?” Winter’s voice trembled softly like a child denied candy.

…What now?!

Rael snapped his head up.

The Great God of the Forge, someone described in the novel as immovable and unshakable, was crying like an actual kid.

How the hell…?

Well, at least he isn’t trying to blow me away in anger.

“You must understand, Winter,” Rael said cautiously. “I can’t give you the Arcana Card as it’s an essential part of my being and what would even remain of me without it…?”

His expressions were calm externally but he frowned inwardly.

Like hell I am giving it to you just because you started crying.

I would rather snatch candy from a child than die just to do a good deed.

Winter suddenly raised his head and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk and here I thought you would fall for that.”

The vulnerable tone vanished, replaced by something sharp and annoyingly familiar.

“The Trickster did say you would give me the card if I kept a shadow of my childhood here and used it well.” He shrugged. “Seems even he miscalculated.”

“But on another thought, he also mentioned how his successor would be a more sly bastard than him, so it makes sense I guess.”

Then Winter tilted his head, smirking.

“Still… Why are you so stingy?”

“I can’t and I won’t give it even if you were to kill me.” Rael asked, startled.

“Chill down, bro.” Winter replied easily. “Why would I kill you?”

He continued, almost casually,

“Even if I wanted to do that, I couldn’t.” Winter said calmly. “The terms of my deal with the Trickster clearly state that I am not allowed to kill you directly or indirectly.”

Then he leaned forward, eyes glinting while hands rubbing onto each other like a merchant.

“So, now that I have explained all this to you for free… Can you give me the Arcana Card? Pretty please?”

What the hell was his deal…?

“Didn’t you say you can’t kill me directly or indirectly?” Rael asked. He was a little more relaxed now but not enough to drop his guard. “If I give you the Arcana Card and die as a result, wouldn’t that break the deal?”

After all, he had no idea what kind of vile tricks that bastard Trickster had taught him.

“Ahh… I get it now.” Winter tapped his head lightly. “I’m such a dummy.”

He looked at Rael, a smirk spreading across his face.

“I think my phrasing was off.” He said casually. “When I said Card of Arcana, I didn’t mean the one fused with your soul.”

“I just want one of the cards you summon.” Winter said lightly. “Not the one from which it all originates. Why would I need that much power unless I was planning to destroy the entire world?”

Rael frowned.

…Huh?

That was it?

That was all he wanted?

Rael waved his hand and a golden card materialized between his fingers.

“Do you mean this?”

Winter appeared in front of him in an instant, his blind eyes sparkling like stars as he stared at the card. “Yep ,yep.”

He leaned closer, almost reverently.

“It’s truly miraculous.” He muttered absently. “How just a fragment, not even one percent, can be this mystical, powerful and beautiful at the same time. I cannot even fathom the material it’s made up of.”

Winter reached out instinctively but before his fingers could touch it, the card puffed into light and vanished.

He snapped out of his trance, turning toward Rael with a faintly annoyed look.

“Tsk. It won’t even cost you much except for that slot.”

Rael looked at Winter with deliberate frustration as though the situation pained him just as much as it did the god.

“If it were only that much, I could give it to you and honestly, I want to as well.”

He spoke slowly as a smug devilish smile threatened to surface but he forced it down.

“…But unfortunately, I can’t, oh junior brother.”

He tapped Winter lightly on the shoulder.

“My flaw makes it impossible for me to give anything away for free even if I truly wanted to and I can only hand it over if you give me something worthy in return.”

Winter didn’t fully buy the act but he understood what Rael was doing.

This was a negotiation.

Rael wasn’t losing much except one card slot and that until he unlocked more of the Arcana’s power, he would be limited to summoning four cards instead of five. Still, that didn’t mean he had any intention of handing it over for free, especially when Winter was trying to count it as partial payment for a deal the Trickster had arranged without his consent.

And Rael knew something else too.

Winter was desperate to save his old man and desperate people were the easiest to squeeze.

Yeah… morally, it’s kind of gray.

But who cares…?

He shrugged.

He was negotiating with a god, not some actual child so, everything was fair.

Winter gestured around them theatrically.

“What are you talking about, big bro?” He muttered, putting on a pitiful act. “I’m just a cute little fragment of my soul, disguised as an avatar from my mortal days left behind to linger in the mortal realm for a very long time…”

He sighed dramatically.

“…All to protect my old man’s soul.”

A faint bitter smile tugged at his lips.

“What you are seeing right now isn’t all that different from the spirit residing in your domain.” His eyes gleamed. “After all, the Trickster helped me build this space too and he integrated this fragment into a spirit.”

He spread his hands.

“So tell me, what could a poor little spirit fragment like me possibly offer the great successor of the mythical Trickster?”

Winter’s act was flawless.

After all, he had spent most of his mortal life with the Trickster and official or not, he was his disciple and it showed.

“All I can offer you is…

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