Riddle's nerves are brittle and sensitive.
With plenty of inner drama.
However, the little wizard's lack of direct response, even pretending not to hear, also explains Riddle's inner turmoil, not merely due to paranoia.
Seeing Riddle's face full of doubt and uncertainty.
"Your matter will be addressed after Helbo is dealt with." Ian also tried to use words to soothe Riddle, but as an expert in such games, Riddle was not fooled.
"I need you to swear a magic oath! You must ensure that you will return me to Hogwarts safe and sound to face the judgement of Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic!"
"You're just a student! You don't have the right to privately dispose of me! It violates the law! It violates justice and morality!" It's hard to believe that one day such grandiose words could come from Riddle's mouth.
There's no helping it, he truly was becoming increasingly distrustful of the little wizard's credibility, being bird feed or becoming part of Helbo was not the ending Riddle desired.
Compared to these endings, being locked in Azkaban seems lovely!
"Sorry, I have neither justice nor morality." Ian did not pretend further in the face of Riddle's persistent insistence, directly shook his head, indicating he did not accept Riddle's proposal.
"..."
Riddle didn't expect the little wizard would give him such a straightforward answer.
"I want to see Dumbledore! I have a secret to tell him! It concerns the safety of the entire world!" With no choice, Riddle decided to play his trump card.
"Does it relate to why you and another remnants betrayed Voldemort?" Ian could guess Riddle's secret, he had previously learned some information from another remnants.
"Yes, that's right, it is also why I fled to this era." Riddle did not deny it, but explained his actions of hijacking the Time Machine with a serious face.
"He became a servant, a servant of the God of Death, and must complete a mission bestowed upon him by the God of Death, which is a crisis not inferior to Helbo."
"It will happen, in our era."
At this point.
Riddle's expression grew increasingly serious. Yet, he still didn't reveal what the God of Death's mission for Voldemort was, or why it caused him and another remnants to betray.
This secret is presumably Riddle's biggest leverage.
To this.
Ian noncommittally nodded, turned his neck to look in the direction of the "Priestess," "You read his memory, I guess you can tell me what this secret he mentioned is?"
Honestly, Ian indeed didn't want to make any deal with Riddle. After all, if he agreed, wouldn't that make him someone colluding with the Black Demon King?
"There's no information on this in his memory." Faced with the little wizard's inquiry, the "Goddess" nibbling on "nuts" shook her head, giving an unexpected response to the little wizard.
"Did you hide the memory?"
Ian was a bit surprised and examined Riddle.
"How could I have that kind of ability."
Riddle directly rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, if he could deceive me, he wouldn't be seeking your help regarding Helbo's curse." The nearby "Priestess" also stood up for Riddle's "innocence."
Mostly boasting that her power cannot be influenced by Riddle.
"Only when linked with that piece of soul can I know the answer, and once the link breaks, it is forgotten immediately. However, both I and the piece of remnants you eliminated are aware that's not the situation we desire, and will inevitably lead to our destruction. The only solution is to sever ties with the remnants that betrayed us."
Riddle dared to use this matter as leverage because clearly there's a weighing of options, only bringing him back to the future can Ian and Dumbledore and others use him to understand the situation with the mutated Voldemort.
"Perhaps you can send me back first, this way you won't have to worry about me pulling any tricks." Riddle once again spoke of his longing for Hogwarts.
He actually has his own thoughts and plans.
After all.
Ancient times are tough.
Returning to the future is the best choice for him. Now, anyway, he is already a complete entity, even though he is Voldemort's past, but he is only the sixteen-year-old Voldemort, at this time he is not burdened with so many sins. He can completely use his abilities to fight for a "chance for redemption."
And even if he can't fight for it.
It's generally more dignified than staying in ancient times. In Riddle's view, all told, he only needs to account for the death of the crying Myrtle, other death cases were done by Voldemort, and what does it have to do with him, Tom Riddle? Considering this way, he surely doesn't want to linger here for even a moment.
"It seems you really miss 'home'."
Ian teased, he could clearly perceive Riddle's emotions and thoughts, didn't expect the Black Demon King to have moments where he couldn't fit into the environment.
"Compared to here, the future is simply paradise!" Riddle didn't hide his discomfort with this era, not just because there are gods but also wicked legendary wizards in this time.
"I've been lurking in the city all this time, can you believe just an ordinary little shop is selling soul extraction services? Extract a slave's soul and attach it to a tireless puppet, so the puppet can work tirelessly for 24 hours. The store owner sells at least three to five thousand of such services a year."