There was no doubt. The two who had chosen Yes had to be Lys and Ashe. That explained the shock on everyone's faces. Lys was young, so her naivety was excusable, but Ashe? How could he still be so innocent at his age?

Annan and Pankey barely reacted. After all, they didn't know much about Ashe and the others' pasts. But Iger and Harvey felt it sharply. Ashe knew exactly what they had done. One was a necromancer who had slain countless people and toyed with corpses, the other a con artist who profited from the naïve. And yet, without any contract restrictions, Ashe was willing to cooperate with them sincerely?

No wonder Everlasting Doom had refused to recognize him as a peer. If the Four Pillars Cult had someone like him, they would likely have been uprooted by the Divine Lord... though, in truth, they already had. The cult had been unbelievably unlucky to encounter a genius like him.

Iger's gaze lingered on Ashe, carrying a mixture of ridicule, admiration, and emotions he could not quite name. Meanwhile, Harvey closed his eyes, smoking his Catnip cigarette, lost in thought.

"All three questions have been asked," Annan announced, clapping her hands. "Lys has two points. Ashe and I each have one point.

"That means only Lys gets to have her wish granted. The rest of you will have to earn yours."

"If it weren't for Ashe being so unpredictable, Lys would have gotten everything right," Iger remarked, his voice heavy with meaning.

"Children always have better luck than adults, and a cute little girl naturally has even better luck than us," Harvey commented casually.

On the surface, the words seemed harmless. The problem was that they came from Harvey. Bound by the contract to protect his daughter, Ashe instinctively pulled Lys close. Annan and Pankey watched the necromancer warily, and even Iger kept his distance.

Harvey shrugged. A trace of helplessness entered his voice, "Praise does not equal desire. My human hunting range is from eighteen to eighty-eight years old. Lys isn't eligible yet."

Everyone distanced themselves even further away from him. "Eighty-eight years old!?"

"You don't understand the exquisite, deathly beauty of decay. Time rusts every gear. The creak of aging marks the rhythm of death. The elderly are the final veil between us and mortality. With a simple gesture, I can lift Death's mask. Freezing the vitality of youth in a single moment is dazzling, but imprisoning death within the aged has its own art. It is worthy of savoring."

Previously, they had worried about Harvey smoking Catnip, knowing it could shorten his lifespan and dull his mind. Now, they silently thought, Just keep smoking.

"I'll fulfill my promise first," Annan said. "Pankey, prepare Lys's gift."

She then turned to the others. "Do you wish to earn your rewards by completing my tasks?"

"As long as our credit remains intact, I have no objection," Iger said flatly.

Harvey added, "If I don't have to risk my credit personally, I can accept a task with a broader scope. Work is often the rarest form of entertainment for me."

Ashe raised his hand. "In that case, may I assign my task to Harvey? As they say, the capable bear more work..."

"Once you complete your tasks, I will grant your requests," Annan replied. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She took a pink wristband from the box Pankey handed her and gave it to Lys. "Waterproof and heatproof. Once worn, it is bound to you. It links directly to the Curtain, with ten thousand copper coins already in the account. While it restricts speech, you can still shop and use it to open the Book of Gospel."

Watching Lys happily fasten the wristband, Iger touched his own ring thoughtfully. "Our rings... have most of their functions been disabled?"

Their rings could only be used to open the Book. Any other functions, like linking to the Curtain, didn't exist, and shopping was out of the question.

"I haven't shortchanged you," Annan said with a sideways glance. "Your rings are expensive luxury items. That holds in every kingdom. The pricier the luxury, the fewer its functions. Meanwhile, cheap items for commoners are often packed with features."

Iger nodded. "Indeed. Only the wealthy buy sports cars that can't handle most roads, while ordinary people choose vehicles that are fuel-efficient, durable, spacious, and crash-resistant. Giving mud-stained folk like us a useless sports car is nothing but cruel shackles."

"I prefer to call it employee benefits," Annan replied with a sly smile. "Well, I'll take my leave now. Enjoy your day."

As soon as she left, Ashe hooked an arm around Lys's neck. "Lys, you don't need to spend so much on clothes. Just give the money to me. I'll keep it safe. When you get married someday, I'll return it to you."

Lys didn't resist the filthy adult. Tilting her head, she said, "But Daddy, you don't even have an account. How would I transfer it to you?"

"Oh, right," Ashe's shoulders slumped, but he quickly perked up. "Then would you like to buy me a gift instead?"

Under his expectant gaze, Lys said brightly, "Of course! As long as you find me a mommy, I'll give you a gift!"

"Hmph. Just say so if you don't want to."

Ashe waved at the necromancer preparing to leave. "Harvey, give me a box of Catnip."

Iger asked, "You getting tired of living too?"

"No. I just happen to have free time and want to test my substitute's poison resistance. Besides, mastery over a spirit requires frequent use. Using the substitute for chores doesn't improve proficiency much anymore, so I need to experiment more deeply..."

Could poisoning the substitute really improve control over a spirit? What kind of absurd Four Pillars Cult training method is that?

Lys headed toward the library as if nothing had happened. Iger shook his head and followed her.

Noticing him behind her, Lys immediately grew alert and covered her wristband protectively. "It's already bound. Even if you try to take it, it won't work. And I'll call daddy to hit you!"

"I wouldn't mind you calling Ashe over," Iger said calmly.

He pushed Lys into the library and closed the door, like a wicked queen cornering a little princess. "Lys, it's time to settle the score."

Startled, Lys instinctively stepped back and hid behind the desk, trembling. "I-I'm sorry. I won't call you Auntie Perskin again..."

"Yes, that's a problem, but that's not why I'm here today. In fact, I'm not here for you at all."

He crouched down to meet her gaze. "What I'm looking for are the others hidden inside you."