The Strongest Curse Master-Chapter 105: Monarch & 12 Champions

Ace might have stormed into the lake house and locked himself in his room, but his ears—or, to be precise, Dame Wasp’s cybernetic senses—were keenly attuned to the conversation outside. Hearing his mother willingly agree to move to his father’s hometown without Mandy even needing to reveal all her cards, Ace was chuffed. Things had unfolded exactly as he had planned, making his pretense of being an ignorant, religious coward worth it.

He could have asked Janice for anything, but he requested a few acres of farmland because he knew that if he were to bring it up, Mandy—hesitant to participate in the transaction due to her ties to both Ace and Janice—would inevitably join in for her own interests ensuring that Ace and Janice would reach a deal which would help Mandy’s interest of acquiring more farmland in that part of the town for reasons unknown.

Manipulating events from the shadows to align with his goals required patience and the ability to keep his ego in check. Every time Mandy, Janice, or Delores mocked him for his cowardice, religious beliefs, or ignorant remarks, rage simmered in his heart. Yet, Ace mind remained calm, controlling the fire within, ensuring that everything unfolded according to his design.

Except, that is, for one unexpected twist: discovering that the diamond ring was connected to the ’World of Curses.’ Fortunately, he managed to sever all ties with the ring and secure appropriate compensation for it. Otherwise, Ace wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the delicious crabs to his heart’s content.

With that issue resolved, Ace used the status screen to discuss the oversight he and his toy summons had made regarding the diamond ring. Thanks to Delores and Janice joining the crab boil, he never found a window large enough to go through this with his toy summons.

[ —Status Screen—

Ace: Guys, what the heck? How could both of you miss that the ring is cursed?

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Dame Wasp: Master, we’re sorry for not detecting the ring’s curse.

Emi: Yes, Master. Please forgive our oversight.

Ace: Skip the apologies. Tell me what went wrong and how we can avoid it in the future.

Dame Wasp: I believe the wood used to make the ring box has the ability to shield curse energy, or the curse on the ring is conditional. It only triggers when specific conditions are met, making it undetectable until then.

Dame Wasp: Master, next time, if you suspect an item has a conditional curse, feed it to the cursed toybox as material for a toy summon’s enchantment. It will appraise the item and report its findings to you via the status screen.

Emi: Senpai, awesome solution! You’re the best.

Ace: Then let’s do it with all the treasure we dug up from the buried fault once we return home.

Ace: Rose, what have you found about the ring and Duke Lambert? What’s the story?

Dame Wasp: Master, according to what I’ve found, Duke Lambert III of the House of Sole is royalty from a small country in the Middle East. The ring, called the Sole Ring, was crafted by the Duke for his heir, the Sole Princess. Apparently, it has a conditional curse that only the heir of the House of Sole can wear it.

Dame Wasp: Despite being a small country, their progress in curse energy rivals ours, thanks to their inhumane curse research program, which is constantly criticized by the wisemen assigned to them by the Curse Council.

Dame Wasp: Nearly two centuries ago, for reasons unknown, their country became the target of multiple Void-Tier curselings. Knowing their strength wasn’t enough to face the calamity, they turned to their allies, but none came to their aid. Desperate, they appealed to the Curse Council, but their country’s assigned wisemen refused to make the appeal, saying, ’You reap what you sow.’

Dame Wasp: With no other options and their end near, in their desperation, they turned to the one that everyone in the ’World of Curses’ calls the ’Monarch.’ He promised to help them if they agreed to play a game of hide and seek with him. With no choice, they agreed.

Dame Wasp: The rules were simple: within the time it took for the Monarch to save their country, a dozen of the country’s best champions had to hide anywhere, in both the mortal and curse worlds. If the Monarch found and killed all twelve within five centuries, he would destroy the country himself. But if even one survived, the country would be spared.

Dame Wasp: The Monarch eliminated the Void-Tier curselings in under a day and found eleven champions within a week. But for two centuries, he hasn’t been able to find the last one—the Sole Princess, heir of the House of Sole.

Dame Wasp: So the Sole Ring being found here is a huge deal. It means the Sole Princess could have been here.

Ace: How do they know she’s still alive?

Dame Wasp: Because of the curse contract signed by the Monarch and the 12 Champions. If the Sole Princess were dead, the contract would have declared the Monarch the winner, and that country would no longer exist.

Ace: Then why is the Duke offering a $10 million finder’s fee for the ring?

Dame Wasp: Before joining the game, the Sole Princess returned the ring to her father to choose a new heir. The Duke refused, saying she would always be his heir. However, if one day she found a better reason to step down as his heir, she could arrange for someone to deliver both the ring and the reason. He would accept it if he deemed the reason just enough. Following that, he declared that no one could sell the Sole Ring and offered a $10 million finder’s fee to anyone who returned it.

Ace: That could also mean the Princess wasn’t here, but someone she trusted to return the ring was. Also, is that $10 million in today’s currency or from two centuries ago?

Dame Wasp: Considering inflation and currency exchange rates, the finder’s fee is $10 million in today’s currency.

Ace: I knew Janice wouldn’t lie. But this turned out to be bigger trouble than I expected. Anyway, it’s the McSuile Family’s problem now.]