Infinite Returns : The More I Give, The Stronger I Become-Chapter 56: Eternal servitude

Chapter 56

Ethan stared at the man seated before him, his twin void-like eyes calm and unreadable.

"You wish to be king?" he asked, his voice soft and smooth—neither loud nor whispering, but perfectly balanced. A sound that made even the most nervous of visitors feel strangely at ease.

Jack Balor nodded, the last prince of the Kingdom of Balor. "Yes. I want it."

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "And are you ready to pay the price?"

"I am."

"Are you sure?" Ethan’s voice remained calm, but the air around them grew colder, heavier. "The burden of the throne is no light matter. Your chances are slim, and the consequences... great. Once you ascend, you will carry the weight of the crown until the end of your days."

He paused, fixing his unblinking gaze on Jack.

The prince flinched. But he didn’t back down.

"Yes," Jack said firmly. "I am ready for everything."

Ethan nodded once, slowly. "Why do you wish to be king? Is it to rule wisely? To bring prosperity to your people?"

"Tell me the truth. If you lie... I will know. And if you do, not only will your wish be denied—but you’ll bear the consequences of lying to me."

The temperature in the cave dropped sharply.

Jack swallowed hard. Fear and tension ran down his spine like ice. But he steeled himself. He’d come too far.

"I want to be king... to rule," he admitted. "I want to stand above all. I want the power to shape this kingdom as I see fit—to mold it into my image."

"The people?" He gave a half-shrug. "If they benefit from what I do, fine. If not, it’s no concern of mine."

He said it all honestly, laying bare his soul before the Merchant.

Not because he wanted to.

Because he had to.

Because this being—the one cloaked in shadow and mystery—was his only path to the throne.

Ethan had already judged him.

From the moment Jack walked in, he’d seen it all using Eyes of Judgment.

This man wasn’t evil in the traditional sense. But he was selfish. Hypocritical. Ambitious to the point of delusion. The kind of man who’d justify any atrocity for the sake of his goals.

A snake. The kind that would bite the hand that fed it if it meant tasting power. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

The kind who looked weak only because he’d never had power.

Give a man power, Ethan thought, and you’ll see who he truly is.

He should’ve refused.

But he wouldn’t.

No—he saw a better path.

"Let’s bind him to me."

Let me show you, little prince, just how heavy a wish can truly become.

"I see," Ethan said aloud. "If your desire is to become king, it can be done. As long as you are willing to shoulder the cost."

Jack’s face lit up with joy.

"Yes! Yes, Honored One—I’ll pay any price!"

Ethan, still calm, spoke silently to his system.

’Any ideas?’

[Plenty. If you were more powerful, the simplest way would be to grant him the destiny of a king. But you are not yet strong enough. Altering fate is no small thing.]

Tch. Damn system. I’m climbing the tower, aren’t I? Just give me an answer.

[You can grant him a talent, or knowledge—something that can make him a key figure in the war and lead him to the throne naturally.]

I don’t care about the war. This is against Castria. I’m not helping that.

System, take whatever points you need. Just tell me: who’s at fault in this conflict? Balor or Castria?

[Balor.]

Why?

[They covet Lucius’s daughter for her extraordinary talent and bloodline. Her elemental affinity is unmatched, and Balor attempted to kidnap her. Though they failed, Lucius retaliated by killing two Balorian Dukes. Now the King of Balor, desperate to reclaim his authority, is pushing for war.]

Lucius has a daughter, huh...? Interesting.

Fine then. Let’s skip the game. Let’s wipe out this entire corrupt royal family and put this snake on the throne.

[You’ve chosen. Cost: 500 billion points.]

...System, you’re bleeding me dry.

Still, he didn’t care. He turned his gaze back to Jack, who was trembling with anticipation.

"Are you willing," Ethan asked, voice now colder, sharper, "to kill your entire family for the throne?"

Jack froze.

Then, slowly, his lips twisted into a grin.

"Yes, Honored One. I am."

Ethan clicked his tongue softly in amusement. Not even a second of hesitation.

But it didn’t matter.

"I will give you the means to do so. The power to kill them all—and make it look like you had no part in it. When the dust settles, the throne will be yours."

He let that settle in the air.

Then added the final twist.

"But the price... the true price of this wish..."

Ethan’s voice turned into a whisper of fate itself.

"You want to stand above all. To rule everyone."

"In return, your burden is this—eternal servitude to one being. No defiance. No betrayal."

Ethan leaned forward, shadows stirring.

"That being... is me."

"My will shall be your command. You accept this, and you will have the throne until you are tired of it. You refuse, and you will leave here forgetting everything we spoke of."

Silence.

Heavy.

Jack trembled. The magnitude of the pact washing over him. To rise above all... he would have to kneel to one. Forever.

To this being.

He hesitated.

Then—he opened his eyes, now burning with twisted ambition.

"I accept."

So what if I’m a servant to one being, he thought, when all others must kneel to me?

The pact was sealed.

And with a whisper and a grin, the Merchant Beneath the World didn’t just grant a wish—he claimed a kingdom.

—End of Chapter 56—