I was incredibly nervous. To be honest, no one could blame me for that, sitting there in front of the very person whose organisation I’d been trying to break into.

But why am I so nervous in the first place? Wasn’t he the one who destroyed the place and nearly buried me alive? Because of him, I’ve been through the worst moments of my life.

I had a brush with death because of him, so he’s the one who should compensate me, isn’t he?

...No, I don’t want to end up in the slave market.

I mean, I know this man sitting in front of me all too well. There isn’t a living soul who loves money as much as he does.

I fear that if I demand compensation, it will turn into a bigger problem than I expect.

Nevertheless, I was extremely grateful to find myself here. I could still get out of this place and return to the academy if I made good use of what I know about Keith...

To be honest, I knew very little about him. All I remember is that at some point he’ll become the richest person in the world.

Perhaps there was other information, perhaps not. That’s all I could conjure up from my memory.

... Hang on a moment.

Wouldn’t it have been better from the start to strike a deal with him? To take a piece of that ancient creature in exchange for some money? Especially since I had plenty of it to begin with.

Why didn’t I think of that option from the start?

Is it because I still suffer from an inferiority complex? Or am I just a fool who couldn’t think of this possibility from the start?

Despite all that, there was one thing that was bothering me a little.

I don’t remember wearing these clothes.

So how...?

Did one of them...

I shook my head quickly, cutting off my thoughts before they went to places I didn’t want to think about.

Mike noticed this, and I caught a glimpse of concern on his face as he said:

"What’s the matter, Mr Nero? Do you need anything? Just ask, I’m at your service."

"No, thanks."

"By the way, my name is Mike, and the man sitting there looking quite at ease is Mr Keith."

"Oh... er... well, could one of you tell me why I’m here? My memory’s a bit of a blur. The last thing I remember is being at the academy, and then I woke up here. You haven’t kidnapped me, have you?"

I wasn’t very good at facial expressions or acting, at least not before I’d practised hard over the past week. And even if I wasn’t entirely convincing, my performance was passable enough.

Naturally, the slight headache I was still feeling helped; I pressed my temples gently, as if trying to recall something I’d forgotten.

I caught a glimpse of Mike about to speak quickly, but he stopped as soon as he noticed Keith had shifted his posture slightly and said:

"Actually, that’s what we were hoping you’d answer."

He paused for a second, then continued, staring straight at me:

"And also, what happened to you? Or rather, what were you doing that you suddenly found yourself inside my cupboard? So, please, try to remember exactly what happened. Try harder."

Although I tried to portray myself as a victim, he didn’t seem convinced by my words. He quickly directed the question at me again, forcing me to think carefully about the next words I would say.

After a moment’s hesitation, I said:

"I can’t... every time I try to remember, I get a terrible headache. I really don’t remember a thing..."

Then I stopped suddenly, as if a fleeting thought had occurred to me, and added:

"Oh... I’ve remembered something. Tomorrow... I was supposed to go on a trip tomorrow, so I was getting ready for it. I must have overexerted myself..."

"Don’t worry," he said calmly. "The sun has only just risen, so you won’t be too late for your journey." Then he leaned forward slightly and continued:

"But anyway, let’s see if this refreshes your memory. When we found you, your body was horribly mutilated, yet over time it began to regenerate and return to its normal state, as if the injuries had never existed. This indicates that you fought a battle to the death."

"And if that isn’t enough to jog your memory, I can tell you more. It’s impossible for anyone to reach this secret room except in one way... which means you were inside the arena."

"And if that isn’t enough either, there’s one more thing. When you saw me a moment ago, it seemed as though you knew me already. And so, unfortunately, you’ll have to give me a convincing explanation. Otherwise... I’ll kill you right here." Keith said this in a very calm tone, as if he were merely joking, yet his eyes showed no trace of humour.

I found myself in a real predicament.

If I denied it, that might be the end of me. But if I told him what had actually happened, I would put myself in an extremely dangerous position.

And yet... however bad that situation might be, it wouldn’t be worse than death.

After several seconds of thought and analysis, I finally came up with an idea that might help me get out of this predicament.

I slowly raised my head and said:

"Two days ago, I received a strange message telling me that my father is still alive, and that he is inside the arena. It was accompanied by a photo of you, as if the sender was hinting that you know his whereabouts or have information about him. So perhaps I tried to sneak into the arena after that..."

I paused for a moment, then added hesitantly:

"Although, to be honest, I don’t remember doing that. So... please, if you know anything about my father, tell me. I’m willing to do anything for that."

I deliberately let a hint of sadness show on my face. Ironically, I didn’t have to pretend entirely; at that moment, I remembered my father’s face and his smile clearly.

I didn’t think this story would work. In fact, I was convinced it was impossible for him to believe it.

But when I saw the sly smile that spread across Keith’s face, I realised I might have got myself into more trouble than I’d imagined.

I heard him mutter a few words under his breath, then he finally looked up. His smile widened until it seemed to split his face in two, before he said:

"I apologise for our lack of hospitality, but you’ve come at an inopportune moment." He paused for a moment, then turned to Mike and added: "Bring the Spiritual Covenant. It looks like we’re facing a major deal that could change all our lives."

Mike left immediately, as if he fully understood what Keith was planning.

As for me... I began to feel that I was already in deep trouble.

I didn’t have to wait long for that to be confirmed, as the next words to come out of Keith’s mouth nearly ripped my soul from my body.

"The mysterious person who sent you that message was right. I do indeed have information about your father. But first, we need to sign a contract. We don’t want either of us going back on our word later... do we?"

At that moment, I felt as though a massive trap had silently snapped shut around me, and I was no longer sure whether I was the one who had steered the conversation in this direction... or whether Keith had been leading me into it from the start.