Chapter 14: The Former Knight Commander Was Abandoned by His Wife (7)
The Former Knight Commander Was Abandoned by His Wife (7)
“Do you even understand what it means?!”
Desnos flushed scarlet, openly questioning Issak’s sanity. Yet Issak remained utterly unshaken, not a flicker of doubt on his face.
“Of course. I fully intend to get divorced.”
“D-Divorced! What!?”
Desnos was too stunned to form another word.
Even the madam, eyes wide, leaned in with disbelief.
“Issak… you’re really getting divorced?”
“Yeah. I’d been laying all the groundwork. If everything had gone according to plan, the official divorce would’ve been finalized by now, and she would’ve been married to Lovecraft already. But thanks to those idiots, it all went to hell.”
“Official divorce?”
Issak raised his left hand to eye level and pointed to the base of his ring finger, where a raw scar remained, like a red tattoo torn from his skin.
“We have to sever the red thread of binding magic from the wedding rite. It’s not a powerful spell, just enough to give you a bad feeling when something’s off, but you can only lift it in person. Total pain.”
With a sigh, Issak stood, grabbing both his smartphone and his dull-edged sword.
“Alright, let’s go, Desnos.”
“Wait! I-I can’t just take this!”
Desnos stood there helplessly, the ring still resting in his palm, pacing in hesitation.
Issak drove his fist firmly into Desnos’s broad chest.
“You want Hisui to come back, don’t you?
Then you need money. Pay off your debts. Get down on your knees and beg Hisui to take you back.”
Issak’s tone wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order.
The heat of Issak’s fist burned into Desnos’s chest like a brand.
A breath later, Desnos steadied himself, his composure returning.
Clenching the ring tight in his fist, he pressed it against Issak’s chest in turn.
“Fine. I’ll be your dog.”
The two men bumped fists, flashing matching grins, feral, and full of fire.
“Alright then… first things first.”
Issak peeked his head out the door.
Outside, five uniformed officers were positioned in a tight formation, ready to block any exit. Getting past them wouldn’t be easy.
“Your first job. Deal with them.”
Desnos gave a short nod, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward, closing the gap between him and the encircling squad.
The police immediately raised their guns, all barrels aimed squarely at Desnos. But he didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he walked straight up to the young officer who’d accompanied him earlier and said,
“Squad leader. Sorry, but I’m going solo from here. Pass my regards to the captain.”
With that, Desnos shoved a crumpled wad of cash into the young officer’s hand. The officer stared, wide-eyed, his gaze flickering between Desnos’s face and the money.
Desnos leaned in close, locking eyes with the younger man without a single word.
Then, like a bear wrapping a paw around its cub, he placed a massive hand on the officer’s shoulder.
The young officer turned bright red like a fresh recruit, straightened up, and saluted. “Understood.” He slipped the cash into the inner pocket of his coat and quietly ushered the squad away.
Watching from behind, Issak muttered, a little disappointed.
“So, you bribed them.”
“A parting gift for a comrade I owe. Got a problem with that?”
“Nope. That was flawless.”
Issak clapped Desnos on the shoulder, then turned back toward the madam.
“Alright, we’re heading out.”
Without a word, the madam raised her hand toward him, palm up.
“What?”
“Eighty million.”
“That debt was cleared the moment you sold me out! Go get the bounty from Lovecraft!”
“Of course I will. But that’s a separate matter.”
“You’re relentless…”
“No helping it. I’ll put it on your tab. But in exchange. Leave your phone.”
“What? No way.”
“Listen, keep playing like this and you really will end up a shell of a man. Hand it over.”
“I’m a grown man. I can handle it.”
“Fine. I’ll multiply your tab by ten.”
“Wait. Hold on! Seriously!?”
As always, the madam’s willow-like brows arched sharply as she glared down at Issak.
And as always, Issak found himself powerless before her, like a scolded child told, “No dinner if you don’t stop playing games.” His will to resist simply withered.
But giving up now would mean the end of his gacha grind.
He needed that GG Rare treasure.
Issak tried to rally himself one more time.
But the madam beat him to it.
“Stop before it’s too late. You’re already halfway gone.”
Issak’s eyes flew wide as he stared at her as if trying to see straight through her face.
She said he was already halfway gone.
She’d repeated it again and again, he was heading toward ruin.
Could it be… the madam actually knew about this gacha?
The thought left Issak reeling. Her ageless, graceful face now struck him with sheer dread.
He gave up.
All fight left him.
He still hadn’t pulled the GG Rare treasure.
He wanted it, desperately, but it couldn’t be helped.
Reluctantly, he held out his phone to her.
As he handed it over, he couldn’t help but glance wistfully at the gacha screen.
And then… in the corner of the screen, a tiny red dot appeared, an alert from the gacha’s admin, announcing new updates.