The Scum Emperor's Redemption System - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: The Masked Truth Trial (1)
Argider had become something of a phantom within her own palace over the last few days, slipping through hallways, ducking behind curtains, and generally perfecting the art of avoiding Esmeralda.

It wasn’t that she disliked the woman.

Well, maybe she did, just a little.

Esmeralda had a way of turning every interaction into an inquisition, her sharp questions and judgmental glares leaving Argider feeling as though she were back in the middle of her trials.

And frankly, she’d had enough of trials.

By the fourth day of her evasive maneuvers, Argider’s skills had reached new heights.

She had learned which corridors echoed the loudest, where every secret passage was hidden, and even how to silence her boots on the stone floor.

But despite her best efforts, Esmeralda always seemed to pop up at the most inconvenient times, like a particularly persistent shadow.

It was during one such evasion, ducking into a linen closet and holding her breath while Esmeralda’s voice echoed down the hall, that Argider had a moment to reflect. Normally, by now, she’d be grappling with another trial.

“Huh? It’s been days since my last trial…”

The tests usually came with clockwork precision, one after another, as though some divine scheduler was managing her suffering.

But it had been four days since the last one. Four whole days.

That was practically a vacation by the standards of her chaotic life. It was strange. Too strange.

“This is weird, right?” she muttered to herself, carefully peeking out of the closet. The coast was clear. “They’re supposed to trigger by now. Shouldn’t there be some ominous scroll or a sudden unrealistic that’ll push me to guilt again?”

PThere was one person she’d been meaning to talk to, someone who had been drifting further and further from her reach: Faeralys.

Finding Faeralys was a task in itself.

The woman had a habit of vanishing into the quieter corners of the palace, preferring to be on her own over the noisy politics of their shared lives.

After searching the library, the gardens, and even the kitchens where Argider had been tempted to snack, but refrained… barely, she finally found Faeralys in the aviary.

She was seated on a stone bench, surrounded by doves and hawks, her fingers idly stroking the feathers of a falcon perched on her arm.

“Faeralys,” Argider called, trying to sound casual but ending up breathless from the chase. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Faeralys looked up, her expression distant. “Have you? I assumed you were busy avoiding Esmeralda.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“She’s been asking everyone about you. It’s quite the sport watching her storm through the palace,” Faeralys huffed.

“I just needed some space. Esmeralda… she’s… intense.”

“That’s a diplomatic way of putting it,” Faeralys replied, her gaze returning to the falcon. “So, what brings you to me? Surely not just to hide.”

“I wanted to talk,” Argider said, her voice softer. “We haven’t… really connected lately. I feel like I’m constantly being pulled in a million directions, and you… I mean, everyone seems out of reach.”

The girl didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she released the falcon, watching as it spread its wings and took flight.

Only after the bird disappeared into the sky did she turn to Argider. “So? Is that my fault you’re a wife collecting pervert? I thought that side of you should’ve died by now, but you’re still thinking using your cock.”

Argider opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a faint shimmer appeared in the air before her. She stared as a glowing scroll materialized, its golden letters radiating a soft light.

“Oh no,” Argider groaned. “Not now. I was just starting to feel like a person again.”

Faeralys raised an eyebrow. “A trial?”

Argider reached out reluctantly and took the scroll. As it unfurled, the elegant script became clear:

— [FORCED QUEST TRIAL ACTIVATED: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT]

— [Description: The time has come to awaken the hidden potential within your allies. Choose one individual within the palace to activate their dormant magic. This person must be both trustworthy and worthy, for the activation will forge an unbreakable bond of loyalty. Choose wisely.]

— [Time Duration: Until The End]

Argider groaned again, louder this time. “Why do these things always sound so dramatic? ‘Trustworthy and worthy’? What does that even mean? And why does it have to be someone in the palace? Do they know how chaotic this place is?”

“Who are you talking to right now? I can’t hear you.”

“Great. Just great,” Argider muttered. “‘Activate their magic’… Do I look like a magical key to them?”

ut wait… oh wait. Maybe she could trigger the magic inside Faeralys right now. Then again—terrible idea. What if it backfired? What if Faeralys incinerated her on the spot? Argider’s pulse quickened at the thought. She shouldn’t be hasty. One minor screw-up and she’d be dead for real—and permanently this time. No respawns, no do-overs. Maybe a more subtle approach was in order.

Questions. Yes, she could ask questions. Start small. Build trust. Connect with her. After all, wasn’t that the whole point? Emotional bonds and all that?

Argider took a deep breath, schooling her features into something resembling warmth. “Faeralys, what do you feel about me?” she asked, her voice light, almost playful.

Faeralys blinked, then scowled. “Huh? I hate you, of course.”

Ouch. That one landed squarely. Argider felt her metaphorical HP bar drop a little.

“Okay, fair,” Argider admitted, pressing on with a slightly strained smile. “But… anything else? Anything at all?” She stepped forward, trying to close the gap between them.

Faeralys stiffened, her expression growing wary. She took an instinctive step back. “W-What are you talking about?” Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Yeah, I hate you!” she repeated, as if doubling down would make her point clearer.

Hate, huh? Argider tapped her chin thoughtfully. Maybe hate could be a bridge, an emotional spark. Literally.

Fire magic, perhaps?

But trust… trust was still the issue.

The faint affection points floating above Faeralys’s head weren’t terrible, but they weren’t exactly stellar, either.

But this was the palace.

If the trial were simple, she’d have breezed through it by now.

“Faeralys!” Argider exclaimed, lunging forward and grabbing the girl’s shoulders. The sudden movement made Faeralys flinch, her eyes going wide in startled alarm.

“W-Wha…?” Faeralys stammered, turning her face away. Her cheeks flushed a faint pink as she squirmed in Argider’s grip. “W-What are you doing?” she added, her voice high-pitched and accusatory. “Seriously, this is… weird! Stop it!”

Argider’s face was perilously close to hers now, her translucent eyes gleaming with determination or was it mischief? To Faeralys, it looked downright predatory. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to lean away, but Argider’s grip held firm.

Then, as if fate had a sense of humor, a cluster of servants bustled into the corridor. T

They froze mid-step, their eyes widening at the scene before them. Gasps rippled through the group, and whispers followed.

Faeralys’s face turned crimson. Panic flared in her eyes. Before she even realized what she was doing, her hand shot up and smacked Argider’s cheek with a sharp crack.

“Pervert!” she shrieked, her voice echoing through the hallway. Without waiting for a response, she twisted out of Argider’s grasp and bolted, her silver hair streaming behind her as she disappeared around the corner.

Argider stood there, one hand on her stinging cheek, surrounded by gawking servants. She let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Well, that could’ve gone better,” she muttered, straightening her posture as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Back to the drawing board.”