"You can do it now, Miles!"
Kaima's voice struck straight at the depths of his soul, carrying with it the unique coercive, commanding tone of a Grand Duke; one that made it hard to refuse or argue against in the moment.
"Why?" Of course, Miles still tried to resist a little. "I don't think Aisha counts as an outsider."
Aisha said, moved, "Wuh… Mr. Miles, I know. I'm your insider!"
You idiot… do you even understand the situation right now? Is this really the time for wordplay and clowning around?
Can't you see that the look in Kaima Seth's eyes right now is the same kind of gaze a lion has while hunting?
Although Reigun Seth became a complete scumbag after going down the wrong path, back when he fought side by side with Old King Kaiser to found the nation, Reigun's title of the "National Lion" was absolutely genuine.
And now, Kaima—who seemed to have perfectly inherited that trait from her father—had already begun evolving from the cub of a lion into a true lioness.
"Hmph. Isn't Aisha Carlos an outsider?"
Kaima let out a cold snort, her aloof demeanor unchanged.
"That's only your personal view, Miles. In my eyes, Aisha is nothing more than a vessel that carries your soul. To put it bluntly, without you, she wouldn't even be a Royal Knight."
The word "vessel" didn't need any thought—it was something loli-form Kaima had once picked up after eavesdropping on Seto Kaiba back at Kaiba Corporation.
Finding it oddly convincing, Kaima had since gotten into the habit of calling Dark Aisha—or even Aisha herself—a vessel.
And compared to the term "vessel," Kaima's deliberate mention of "Royal Knight" at this moment was equally blunt and easy to understand.
Without Miles, Aisha wouldn't even hold the title of Royal Knight. Once that halo was stripped away, what right did the Carlos family have to negotiate task compensation with the head of the Seth family?
But to Miles, all of these lofty justifications about family status sounded like nothing more than Kaima trying to trick him into coming out alone.
Who knew what strange scheme this woman was plotting now?
Hopefully, it wouldn't really turn into Miles's original fear.
—Be honored. Your additional reward is a Duel with me!
That said, if it really came to a Duel, Miles would still rather use Aisha's body, which he was already accustomed to.
It wasn't that Duels after full guardian-spirit manifestation were bad—just that frequent manifestation caused mental energy consumption to increase geometrically.
In an emergency, that was one thing. But in everyday circumstances, it wasn't exactly a comfortable state for enjoying a card game.
"If you refuse, then the deal is off."
"Hey, are you trying to welch on the payment, Kaima?! Careful or I'll…"
Careful, or I'll expose that ridiculous time you turned into a loli.
Though on second thought, Miles didn't actually have any proof—how had he forgotten to take pictures?
"I'm fine with it. Go on, Mr. Miles!"
At the final moment, it was Aisha herself—speaking from within the Soul Room of the Millennium Puzzle—who persuaded Miles.
"Because this is the most important thing for you, Mr. Miles. To be honest, I've already lost count of how many times you've helped save me. The only thing I can do is make sure I don't hold you back."
"Aisha, you…"
Saying it so solemnly… was Kaima really planning to do something to him?
"I understand."
Mental energy gathered and transferred into the interior of the Pyramid of Light. Establishing the basic conceptual framework, sharing accumulated experiences, reconstructing years of growth, surpassing and completing numerous processes.
Projection magic… no, no—manifestation of the guardian spirit state.
All beginnings were difficult. Once he had the foundation of his first successful manifestation, simply manifesting his guardian spirit alone posed no difficulty for Miles anymore.
"Hmph. So you're finally willing to come out, Miles."
Seeing Miles himself appear once more, a satisfied curve rose at the corner of Kaima's lips.
"Then the transaction continues. Go inside."
Although the transaction was being treated with excessive secrecy, this room was indeed a study.
Before entering, Miles even specifically checked the plaque hanging on the wall—Kaima Seth's private study.
The neatly arranged bookshelves were a blessing for anyone with obsessive tendencies, and the carefully chosen incense helped calm the mind and relax the body.
It was clear that this private study served as a mental oasis amid Kaima's hectic schedule as a Duke.
Bang!
However, Kaima, who entered after him, slammed the door shut behind her, completely shattering the tranquility that should have existed.
Once again, to emphasize—this was a study.
"Kaima, is it really necessary to turn this place into a full-on sealed room?"
"It is. After all, this involves a transaction worth four million."
Fair enough. Miles understood the principle of keeping wealth from public view. The fewer people who knew he was receiving such a massive sum from the Seth family, the better.
Especially since the money would be used for the taboo of human transmutation.
"So where's the money?"
"No rush. Uwaaaaaaaah!"
"Uwa?"
Miles turned toward Kaima with a puzzled expression.
Stretching out in a long, lazy yawn, this was the first time Miles had heard Kaima make such an unguarded, girlish sound.
…Or maybe not the first time?
Loli-form Kaima used to make all kinds of strange yelps.
However, now, no matter how Miles looked at her, Kaima was clearly maintaining her fully matured, elegant adult form.
Her body remained in that mature state as she finished stretching and lazily sprawled across the study's sofa.
Her flat, pale abdomen—utterly free of excess fat—was exposed thanks to the stretching posture she'd just taken.
She wasn't treating him like an outsider at all.
"After getting used to being relaxed, going back to being a Duke again is really exhausting."
Getting used to being relaxed—she probably meant her little-girl state inside the Obelisk Tower, didn't she?
Miles finally understood. "So you still haven't fully switched back from that mode yet, Kaima?"
After getting accustomed to loli mode, forcibly returning to the role of Duke Seth and maintaining a cold, dignified facade would naturally be exhausting.
"I wouldn't say I've switched back, it's more like my mindset's changed a bit because of this whole incident."
Changing from sprawled to lying on her stomach, Kaima beckoned.
"You should sit too, Miles. Don't be so stiff. This room is very safe."
Is this really about whether the room is safe?
You're taking up the entire sofa by yourself… where am I supposed to sit?
In the end, without standing on ceremony, Miles simply pulled out the chair in front of Kaima's desk and sat down.
"So, should we continue discussing your reward, or should we first talk about how to treat your loli aftereffects?"
"They're not aftereffects. I already said it's just a change in mindset…"
Lying face-down on the sofa, Kaima hugged a pillow she'd grabbed from somewhere, half her face buried in it while the other half peeked toward Miles. She spoke softly.
"Because there's someone in front of whom I can just relax. That makes me want to… indulge myself a little."
"Huh? What did you say?"
With her mouth muffled into the pillow, Miles couldn't hear her muttering at all.
"Ahem… nothing. Let's talk about the reward instead."
Clearing her throat to change the subject, Kaima sat back up.
"When you put it that way, there's really nothing to discuss. You just need to give me the money."
"No. Before that, I need to confirm something." A glint of intelligence—one Aisha would never have—flashed through Kaima's eyes. "Why do you suddenly need such a huge sum of money, Miles?"
"Uh… is that really important? That wasn't a condition when you commissioned the job."
"Do you really think it's not important? Four million gold coins are enough to directly overturn a small family. As a Duke of Livorden, I believe I have the right to ask."
"Then… to laze around and live comfortably for the rest of my life?"
Miles made up an excuse on the spot.
"Don't talk nonsense. I know you're not that kind of person, Miles."
Clearly, that offhand excuse wasn't going to fool Kaima.
"Let me guess. You're planning to take the money and do something that isn't permitted under Livorden law, aren't you?"
Spot on. As expected of you.
If human transmutation were legal, that scummy loli Viel wouldn't have any reason to charge him this much.
"And if you took this money for something illegal, you definitely wouldn't spend it within Livorden's borders."
That was correct too. Viel, now an escaped fugitive, had already fled to the free nation of Axet.
"So the situation in which you'd need to use such a large amount of money abroad would be…"
At some point, Kaima had already left the sofa and moved closer. Her eyes locked onto Miles's, the keen gaze of a predator returning—just like before they entered the room.
"You're planning to alchemize a body, Miles."
"Did you install surveillance on me or something?!"
This woman was terrifying. The instant their gazes met, Miles felt as if he'd been thoroughly seen through.
What kind of ridiculous intuition lets someone guess that he planned to use two million gold coins for body alchemy?
"As expected. It was too easy to guess. A guardian spirit suddenly needing a huge amount of money, it really can only point in that direction."
"So what? Because it's illegal under Livorden law, you're going to refuse to pay the reward, Your Grace?"
Now that his purpose had been exposed, this was the worst outcome Miles could imagine.
"No. Not only will I pay the full reward, but I'll also keep your secret unconditionally. In fact, if you need help in other areas, I'll lend a hand as well."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Human transmutation is illegal. I thought you'd stop me."
"Human transmutation? I have no idea what you're talking about."
Impressive. She's already committed to the act—tight-lipped to perfection. I'd rank you first.
"I'm joking," Kaima laughed. "It's because I have no reason to stop you. On the contrary, letting you obtain a real body brings far more benefits than drawbacks—to me, and to all of Livorden."
"It's simply the result of weighing pros and cons."
"That's right. The conclusion of weighing pros and cons. That said, speaking purely of my personal wishes… the answer would be the same."
After saying that, Kaima's gaze noticeably flickered away, no longer meeting Miles's eyes directly.
"In short, if it means letting you obtain a body, the Seth family is willing to provide unconditional assistance. Money, connections, technology—even political influence. But there's one thing I hope you'll seriously think about."
"Think about what?"
"Your destination."
"My destination?"
"After you obtain a body… where you truly intend to go."
Getting to the heart of the matter, Kaima's expression gradually grew serious.
"Miles, the reason you've been staying by Aisha Carlos's side all this time is undoubtedly because your soul is bound to the Millennium Puzzle."
As she spoke, Kaima gestured lightly toward the door.
At this moment, Aisha was probably still waiting obediently outside.
"But once you obtain a body, the chain binding your freedom should disappear. When that happens, will Carlos still be your best choice?"
"So that's what you mean by 'destination,' Kaima."
Regarding the question of what would come after obtaining a body, Miles had truly never given it serious thought before Kaima brought it up.
For some reason, having grown accustomed to life inside the Soul Room of the Millennium Puzzle and to staying with Aisha, Miles always felt that even if he obtained a body, it was still something far off in the future.
It was only now, when the chance at rebirth was truly placed in front of him, that Miles realized he had never genuinely thought this through.
"The way you're saying this, Kaima… you're not planning to have me throw my lot in with the Seth family, are you?"
To be fair, even though the Carlos family had been steadily rising recently, they still couldn't be compared to the resources of the Seth family—the only ducal house in Livorden.
From a more pragmatic standpoint, after obtaining a body and living in a swords-and-magic otherworld, attaching himself to a super backer like the Seth family would probably be the most comfortable path for Miles.
"Honestly speaking, on a personal level, I'd of course most like you to join the Seth family. Still, I won't force you. Someone like you should have many possible destinations. And no matter where you go, there will be people who welcome you."
Kaima drew a card from a deck box and let it spin across the smooth surface of the desk.
The dark card back spun like a compass. Until it truly came to a stop, no one could guess which direction it would point.
"Wherever you go, what matters most is that it's a choice you arrive at after genuinely thinking it through. When that time comes, no matter what decision you make, the Seth family will stand firmly behind you."
"Kaima…"
This was the first time Miles had realized that the seemingly cold Kaima Seth cared this much about his situation.
"Take it." Kaima gestured toward the spinning card on the desk. "Your reward."
"Huh?" After picking up the card, Miles was surprised to discover that while the back resembled a Duel Card, the face wasn't a Duel Monster at all, but rather numbers printed over the image of gold coins.
This was a gold-coin card, like Axet's SP point cards, universally accepted within the Kingdom of Livorden.
It could be swiped for payment, directly deducting the amount of gold printed on the card.
"But… this number is zero."
"Hm↗↘" Kaima's lips curved upward.
[Payment received: 4,000,000]
Instant transfer.
Staring at the six extra zeros that had suddenly appeared on the card, Miles could only think one thing.
Rich lady… when you spend money, you look insanely cool.
...
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