Pirate Kingship-Chapter 582 - 422 – Burp~ Can’t Finish Absorbing, It’s Endless! (6600 word merge)_2
The only minor difficulty was the requirement to "drain the beloved's blood to replace one's own."
Their challenge, however, was completely different from others.
Byron and Violet were shocked for only a moment after reading the ritual requirements before quickly regaining their composure.
Violet, theoretically the one to be "drained," was unconcerned. She merely shrugged and casually flicked the thick anchor chain between them.
She teasingly tilted her head at Byron, revealing a stretch of her delicate, swan-like neck. Batting her large eyes, her exquisite face brimmed with eagerness.
Her alluring appearance was extremely tempting to Byron.
The confident girl showed no hesitation or resistance, either to her identity as Byron's "beloved" or to the prospect of being drained of her blood.
However, Byron did not bite immediately.
He activated his Spirit Vision. Using Black Sorcery for verification, he saw two particularly thick golden anchor chains within his Spirituality that both met the criteria.
Relief flickered across his face, soon replaced by a hint of distress.
"For others, this step is a heart-wrenching farewell between life and death. But for me, the real worry isn't accidentally draining my 'beloved' to death; it's deciding... which one to drain! It's truly a dilemma."
He could think of more than one solution to this 'beloved' dilemma.
The abilities of other ordinary Half-Night Devils were far inferior to his as the Prince of Night Demons.
Byron even dared to cut off a large part of his own body and revert to a seven or eight-year-old child. Although this might result in Innate deficiencies post-advancement, it would drastically reduce the amount of blood needed.
Moreover, in this deceitful world, finding a loved one to entrust your life to is a divine blessing. Many are merely playing roles or settling for companionship; forget 'beloved,' they often lack even love itself. They desire beauty, money, or houses—not the person themselves.
He was different. He didn't just have one beloved; he had two!
At this critical juncture, Byron could no longer make excuses like, We're too familiar, like brothers; I can't bring myself to do it.
Perhaps being with Catherine lacked the novelty he felt with Violet, but that was only because he and Catherine were already so familiar they were inseparable.
The growth of his 'Human Nature,' bit by bit from the Flow State to Spirit Vision, was also a process. Through it, he gradually freed himself from the constraints of 'Id' and 'Super-ego,' gaining clarity of his true heart.
What do I know about having one foot on one boat, or two? I only know that catamarans are the most stable on the high seas. Good deeds are rewarded, so it's quite normal for a 'Great Good Man' like me to receive double rewards. Facing this advancement prerequisite with two beloveds opens up so much more room for maneuver. Taking a giant step back, even if the beloveds were just ordinary human girls, with two sharing the burden, each losing only a third of her blood, they could both survive unscathed. Yet, if this distribution isn't handled well, and Catherine is neglected at the critical moment... even if I gain eternal life, I'm bound to die a horrible death under my sister's 'loving' iron fist in the future.
After much hesitation, and with Violet even urging him to call Catherine to join them, he finally stopped avoiding the crucial issue. He mustered his courage and made the final decision:
"A blow will fall whether I stretch out my neck or shrink back. Children make choices; adults, of course, want it all! The Old Continent nations will henceforth enter an era of One King, Two Queens! This is a small step for me, but a giant leap for the era!"
He then activated the Golden Law. Feigning deep grief, he contacted his sister, who had just transformed into a teenage Mithril Dragon.
「At the same time, northern Yucatan Island, former Aztec Royal City.」
Emperor Aztec, [Conqueror] Cortes, was striving to be Byron's number one lackey. He was leading his armies in a religious war to expand the Sacred Golden Empire's territory. Upon receiving an order from his liege, he cut off his own right arm without batting an eye.
He summoned his head maid, Sherry, to send the arm across the vast ocean to the Southern Continent via Financial Street channels.
Looking at the three bottles of Blood Brew: Cinderella before him, potions capable of regenerating his severed limb, his face lit up with unbridled joy.
Exchanging a mere arm for two extra life-saving trump cards is a huge win!
Even though Byron kept a tight grip on the lives of servants like him, Cortes was now even more convinced that following The Sea Hunter promised a great future.
Herman, the [Doppler Greatswordsman] stationed at Jamestown Royal Harbor with Sister Teresa, also didn't hesitate. He sliced off his arm cleanly and decisively...
The most core members of The King's Right Hand and the Wild Hunt Servants under Byron's command were the most suitable candidates for the ritual.
Prime Minister [Necromancer Knight] Andrew; War Chariot [Guardian Knight] Bruh; Knight [Blood-red Whiskey] Alfred;
Guardians: [Phantom Blade] Gus, [Honest Man] Eight Fingers, [Shipwright] Little Hans, [Gunner Chief] Wayne Dote, [Chameleon] Jacqueline.
And the four [Wild Hunt Servants]: [Conqueror] Cortes, [Doppler Greatswordsman] Herman, the Barbary Pirate [Fat Dragon], [Goddess of Love and Beauty] Freya.
Among them, only the arm of the Second Order Transcendent, [Fat Dragon], wasn't required. Naturally, for servants supporting the ritual, the higher their Rank and the greater their strength, the better the effect.
The rest all offered up their right arms, totaling eleven.
