Chapter 427: Bargain.
With Sirius locked in the house, Loki gave Walburga a wry look as if apologising for the trouble he'd caused but Walburga just patted his shoulder before walking.
"Don't worry about it, that wasn't your fault. I just have stupid children." Walburga complained loudly enough for Sirius to turn back and glare at Loki for a few seconds before huffing and looking away.
It caused Loki to laugh a little since Sirius was acting like a child.
But stuffing away his laughter, Loki quickly followed Walburga to the living room, where she sat down and Kreacher brought them some snacks.
Kreacher acted as if this was the first time he was seeing Loki, but he still got him the muffins he used to love eating in the house.
Loki thanked him with a smile before turning towards Walburga who had engulfed them in a confined space to prevent their discussions from leaving outside.
"What do you need?" Wlaburga asked politely with a smile.
"I need to contact the Devils that the Black Family has contact with. I need a particular set of abilities that they have to orient myself on a trip into the Abyss."
Walburga's pupils narrowed instantly and she straightened her back as she leaned in a little before asking-
"What…?"
Loki *sighed* knowing that he had to explain to Walburga exactly what he was doing.
"I'm using a mechanical puppet I made to help Laura Drake get her husband back from the Abyss. He's currently hiding there using the Turnoset Brass Notebook."
And before Walburga could speak again, Loki said exactly what she wanted to hear-
"I negotiated it for receiving their help in a mission that the God who's blessed I became asked me to complete. I also negotiated the right to use the Turnsoest Brass Book three times upon recovery."
Walburga's eyes widened slightly before she closed them to think through everything Loki had just told her.
After about a minute of contemplating Walburga quickly opened her eyes and shook her head.
"You shouldn't have negotiated for the right to use the Turnsoest Brass Book thrice. What you should've done was ask the Bones family to give you three blank favours which could've been passed to the Black Family in case you perished regardless of the success of the mission.-"
"-But since the Turnsoest Brass Book is a book is probably a high-level item that belongs to the Arbiter pathway you still did well."
'Ah…' Loki realised that Walburga didn't know that the Turnsoest brass notebook was actually the uniqueness of the Arbiter pathway so he mentally shook his head, wondering what her reaction would be when she learnt of it so he calmly nodded for now.
"But I can't allow you to go to the Abyss.", Walburga said snappily with furrowed brows. "Firstly the matter concerning the Abyss Devils has been recorded in the Darkness Pathway and one will learn about it once they get to the right sequence. I haven't learnt about any of it even though I'm a demigod-"
"I know." Loki interrupted with a soft smile on his face and a nod.
"Hm~? Then why do you want to go into the Abyss?"
Loki shook his head gently, "You've got me wrong. I don't just know the restrictions regarding the information about the Abyss Devils and the Abyss itself. I'm telling you that I know what the forbidden knowledge regarding the Abyss actually is."
Walburga's eyes narrowed before she was about to speak but as if reading her mind, Loki shook his head.
"No. I can't tell you about it without risking you to corruption. In fact, the reason that the spirit devil was attached to you and all the other Demigods of the Darkness Pathway before you was related to this secret.-
"-And it was probably for that reason that the information was concealed by the Black Family ancestors using the pathway, they likely wanted the people that trod on this pathway to be much stronger so that they could defend themselves before they were exposed to this information-"
"-in it was also what the Spirit Devil wanted to learn; The location of the Abyss Devils that the Black Family 'helped'."
Walburga frowned since she felt like she was the younger one of the two suddenly.
'How does he have mysticism knowledge that surpasses mine?'
'Ah…that Evil True God?'
Walburga thought about everything that Loki had told her for a few seconds before she asked a simple question, "So you know how I can access the information without me reaching the right sequence?"
Loki nodded with a smile.
"I noticed your connection to the information earlier. But I'll need your help doing in doing something rather risky."
"What?" Walburga asked doubtfully.
"I'll need you or Sirius to forcefully absorb the Beyonder Characteristics of a higher sequence until your connection to the concealed information grows stronger. That will be when I can use the help of the Lord to exploit the connection and learn the knowledge myself."
Walburga frowned since this was a substantial risk that she'd have to be taking.
If it wasn't Loki that suggested this to her she'd have already ignored the person talking to her thinking they'd gone made and were close to losing control. But since it was Loki, Walburga thought about his request for a while.
"Are you sure you can keep me or Sirius from losing control?"
Loki shook his head, "I won't be keeping you from losing control. It'll be 'Him'." Loki said pointing up.
Walburga looked at Loki's finger with confusion as her brows furrowed.
"Who?"
"Who else other than the True God of the Darkness Pathway."
Walburga's eyes widened but Loki cared very little about it as he casually continued.
"He owes me a favour and he'll help you out for a while."
Walburga's eyes widened a little as she mumbled out words in confusion.
"...this…how? The True god whose blessed you are? Is it because of him?"
Loki really wanted to destroy Salazar Slytherin's scary image by telling Walburga that her pathway's True God was his fan. But since he didn't want to be suddenly captured by shadows and become lost in the Darkness he only smiled lightly, pretending that was the case.
"With whom will the procedure take less time and be safer?" Walburga asked Loki.
"That would be Sirius since he has digested more of the potion than you have. But I'd prefer you over him since I don't want to reveal my capabilities to him just yet when he's related to 'Him'."
Walburga got the hint since she wouldn't have preferred using anyone related to Dumbledore in her own plans either way.
After a few considerations and ideas, Walburga finally looked at Loki with a smile that caused the hair on his neck to stand a little before asking-
"Pray do tell, you aren't going to be using your helpless old Grandma for nothing, are you? I'm sure there's something you'll give her to do all this? Something like a gift? Just to motivate me in the right direction?"
Loki's smile twitched.
'The hell is she acting like a swindler with me!?'
But Loki wasn't one to back down easily, he used his illusions to add a few sparkles in his eyes as he looked at Walburga with a heart-wrenchingly innocent expression while he spoke-
"Oh! Grandma!! You know I don't have much? But do tell me what you need, I will do my best to fulfil your wishes within my means."
"Oh! Really!?" Walburga asked with a smile that caused Loki to feel even more scared.
"Really! As long as it is reasonable! YOu wouldn't want to burden your grandson would you?"
"Oh! Don't worry this is simple!" Walburga waved her hands innocently with a nice good-natured smile.
Loki continued to look at her and Walburga spoke in a sweet voice that was completely uncharacteristic of her.
"It's nothing big, I'd only like you to officially join any and all business you've constructed in the span of these few years with the Black Family."
Loki's eyes widened.
'How did she know!?'
The picture of a shabby creature whose name rhymed with it came to his mind!
'Kreacher!'
"What do you say? Isn't it a bargain to have the full support of the Black Family behind you?" Walburga spoke as her smile finally turned sinister.
Loki shivered.
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