Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 5 April 2321

Time- 04:14

Location- Southern Region, Blossom district, Sky Blossom City, Outskirts

Belphegor promised in the presence of the devil merchant code that I would get to decide on what we wager on but that did not mean that I had full control to decide on a wager that hugely favored me. It only meant that I had the final say on what the wager would be. That was, I and Belpher would come up with ideas for a wager and the deciding vote would be cast by me.

Belphegor could always call off the wager and I would only get to decide on what to wager if there was a wager, so for there to be a wager I had to be fair on what to wager on such that Belphegor doesn’t call off the wager feeling that I did not plan to play fair from the start. If Belphegor cancels the wager because I was making the wager unfair, I will not only be able to achieve my agenda but also increase Belphegor’s hatred towards me. Therefore I had to make the wager we decide on look fair.

Interesting how things turned out, a devil negotiating for a fair wager. However, I had no idea what Belphegor planned to get out of this. Though I can see that he had lost his sense of reason and was acting out of pure rage and pride, I did not underestimate him. After all, he was a devil. Therefore, I carefully considered my words deciding to keep them short and straight to the point. But first, “Belphegor, why don’t you tell me what the stakes are going to be?”

“The stakes for the wager are obvious, don’t you think so?” Belphegor argued.

“Belphegor, why don’t you repeat them for me,” I stressed.

“The demigod soul you are supposed to give me for the recommendation quota I gave you along with your soul and her soul,” Belphegor said pointing his jet-black worm head at the semi-demigod chick.

“About that, I have no use for the demigod’s soul,” Redfall’s soul was being tracked by related authorities and for my current realm I had zero use for it. On the other hand, the devil merchant code recommendation quota had a lot of prospects for me. These stakes made no sense.

“Dalton Wyatt, don’t push it,” Belphegor warned with a deep voice.

“You are pushing it. Leave if you want to, many powerful people are conspiring against me, and another devil will not make a difference,” The stakes were truly unfair, no way I could agree to them unless I stood to gain something.

“These are the stakes and you have to agree to them. Did I not agree to you deciding what we wager on?” Belphegor threatened as his blood-red beady eyes almost bulged out of their sockets by staring too hard at me.

For Belphegor, the demigod’s soul he got in exchange for his recommendation quota was the symbol of his shame. The shame of having been outsmarted and tricked by a mortal. He wanted to wash this shame of his away by making use of the wager, for that to happen the stakes of the wager had to be the demigod soul he received for his recommendation quota along with two special mortal souls. For Belphegor, this wager was the only shot at redeeming his pride as a devil merchant, he wanted its stake to be as he stated real bad. If the stakes of the wager were to be any different then it would not be worth it for him to enter the wager so he went as far as to make empty threats to get the stakes of the wager to be as he stated.

“You did agree to let me decide on what we wager on but the stakes are unfair, I would a fool to agree to them,” I was trying to enunciate that if Belphegor gets to decide unfair stakes for the wager then I should get to decide on a wager that favored me. Seeing how badly Belphegor wanted this I thought I could get him to give me some handicap when we agree on what to wager on.

“…” Belphegor went silent hearing the monster worm named Dalton Wyatt. Belphegor knew the stakes were unfair and the monster worm did not have any reason to agree to them but this did not mean he would agree to wager on something with unfavorable odds staked against him. Then there would be no point to this wager, he entered this wager to wash his shame not to add to his shame. Therefore after thinking it through for a while he spoke, “You summoned me to act as the knight in shining armor for that damsel in distress, right? what if we wager on that?”

Listening to the devil I was surprised, his deduction was not off, it seems I was right not to underestimate Belphegor, he seems to be in full control of his element now. To wash away the stain of shame on his pride, he has put a lot of thought into his words and action. Despite his deduction being on spot I decided to act ignorant, “I don’t kn….”

Without even waiting for me to finish my sentence Belphegor interrupted me saying, “Dalton Wyatt before you lie that there are other people here to protect her, let me tell you, at first I did not see it but now seeing how nobody has come to her rescue so far it is clear as day that another conspiracy is afoot here causing her guardian unable to help her. So it is in your best interest that you listen to what I have to offer, then it is your choice whether you continue to feign ignorance.”

My beady black monster worm eyes widened hearing Belphegor, yep, he was out for blood. So I decided to pause my play and listen to what he had to offer for now, “I am listening.”

“I will lend you seventy percent of my power for five minutes, which would be enough to rise your realm to that of a regular demigod in your world. Using that strength if you can rescue your damsel and kill her assaulter within five minutes time limit, you win the wager if not, then it is my win.

Of course, it is given that you cannot use external help, if you do then I will win the wager by default. And if I were to win, I will descend in your body harvest that the assaulter’s soul, the recommendation quota in your possession, then give you a day to fetch the demigod soul you owe me and generously give you a little time to say goodbye to your girl. 24hrs later, I will come to collect my remaining winnings. What do you say?” Belphegor put forward his offer and before I could answer he added, “Dalton Wyatt before you answer me, you should know that I won’t be this generous the second time. If you reject me now, you will have to live knowing that you had the chance to save your girl but you did not.”

“…”

“Dalton Wyatt, What will it be? You are running out of time.”