Chapter 168 Blackmailed
"I'll give you the most precious thing I own, my daughter."
Those words grated on Jack's ears. It was unexpected and Jack couldn't even take back the sword because Argyle had already stored it away.
"HUH?!"
"My daughter will be in your care, Jack, so make sure to treat her right," stated Argyle, oblivious to Jack's response. "I still feel like I'm the one losing out in this deal, but I can make an exception this once."
"What are you talking about? I can't marry your daughter, I've got way too many things to do!"
"You will marry my daughter, whether you like it or not. I've already accepted your gift, so you must accept mine. If you can't accept my kindness, then I'll be forced to act in anger and take everything you have, including your life!"
"Really? What makes you think you can pull that off?"
Argyle showed Jack a wry smile. "You've kept so many secrets from everyone, including the association. You covered all your tracks and somehow managed to enter into our auction house without anyone even knowing it was you. In other words, other than that girl on the sofa, there's nothing linking you to being here in my home, right?"
"But--"
"But what? You only told me who you were and gave me that sword for your own benefit. Don't tell me that you were willing parting with something so great, not when it only appeared after I'd found you out," explained Argyle.
"You're right about one thing; I don't want to kill you. As a former friend of Tralon and partly from the slight chance I'm found out, but I should be fine considering I can say you hid your identity and offer treasures to pay for your death. Does any of that sound illogical?"
Jack's face twisted as he looked back at Argyle. "... So, you're blackmailing me instead?"
"Correct!"
"And you think I'll just accept it?"
"You have no choice!" laughed Argyle. "You may have been stronger than me in the past, but now you're nothing more than an ant for me or the association to play with to our hearts desires."
"If anything, you should be thanking me! My daughter is beautiful and has many suitors, but we both know I'll never meet a man more capable than you. Plus, with her as your wife, you'll always have the Fat Goose as a backer, no matter what you decide to do!"
Giving Argyle a strange look, Jack asked, "No matter what I do? Even if I start a war or have the gods themselves chase after me?"
Still laughing, Argyle put his hand firmly on Jack's shoulder. "That doesn't matter to me. I get bored and tired of living like this, so why not? I've always wanted to try and help Tralon, but never had a reason to."
The high-level swordsman suddenly stopped laughing and looked Jack in the eyes. "Would you like to know why I opened the Fat Goose in the first place?"
Jack relaxed and nodded.
"I was always a strong adventurer, even at the time I was visiting Trodar frequently for my wife. Back then I was almost lv. 60 and I thought I could offer the world to my wife. But while we were on our honeymoon, my wife's family was attacked and pillaged, and there was nothing I could do about it…" Argyle sighed, pausing for a moment. "Without a powerful backer, no one would be able to protect the people they love."
"So, I looked for the fastest way to create a background for myself. I didn't dare be someone else's pawn, so it was my only option. Now, after twenty years of endless grinding for EXP and collecting countless treasures, I own the Fat Goose."
"But what does that have to do with me," asked Jack.
"Everything, now," answered Argyle. "My wife's tragic death was impossible for me to stop and all I have left is Eliza."
"In other words, your passing responsibility to me so that you're not worried about protecting her?"
"Correct. For you, it's only a matter of time that you'll reign over the continent, so long as you survive till then. The association is a great backer, but you and I both know that you're like me. You refuse to be someone else's pawn in their scheme."
"So I should be your pawn instead of the association's?"
"Wrong, you will be no pawn of mine. I wouldn't dare control every action of someone as wild and ambitious as you," answered Argyle with a shake of the head.
"But you'll blackmail me into marrying your daughter?"
"That's not me controlling you, that's me forcibly making us permanent allies," added Argyle. "Wouldn't you rather have the freedom to roam with us, then be at the beck and call of Lorwynn?"
Trying to think of something, Jack asked, "And what if I'm interested in someone else?"
"Marry her too! Someone like you is bound to have women thrown at you." Argyle looked at Jack like he was young and naive. "Jack, please don't take this issue to heart. I only want the best for my daughter and I can offer you the full support of the Fat Goose, no matter what!"
"Why are you acting like this? You're blackmailing me, yet you're acting like I'm already your son-in-law," asked Jack. Suddenly, a thought came to Jack's mind. "Argyle, how did your wife die?"
Argyle blinked and groaned, "That's unimportant at the moment."
"You want to get revenge but never bothered while you were protecting Eliza, so it should be someone very powerful."
Hitting the nail on the head, Argyle's gaze softened. "You got me. But I won't tell you who it was, not until you've rebuilt the Leisure Guild and are at least lv. 60. Until then, it's pointless to tell you."
"Do I really have to marry your daughter?"
"Yes, you'll have the honor of marrying me only daughter," Argyle answered Jack with a piercing gaze. "You'll break the hearts of many young men, but it must be done."
With a confused sigh, Jack asked, "When's the wedding?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!"
"The sooner the better, both for me and for you. You said you were in a hurry, right?" Argyle joked with his soon to be son-in-law.
"I… I don't want to believe that all of this happened…"
"Believe it, and you'll be thanking me in the future." Patting Jack on the back, Argyle continued. "I can let you leave, but you'll have our people escort you until the wedding tomorrow at noon. Make sure you're back here by morning."
"..."
"Cheer up! Anyone else would die to have this happen to them," reasoned Argyle.
"I… it's a lot to take in so suddenly." Jack now knew that he had heavily underestimated Argyle's cleverness.
But he had no choice. Without telling the truth, Argyle could just kill him and take his things. And rather than face a renowned lv. 71 expert, the association would probably accept a generous offering of materials and items instead of seeking vengeance for a lv. 22 hero.
If anything, the association would be more furious at Jack for keeping everything so secret.
"Jack, I really do want someone like you as a son-in-law. You're the only one good enough for Eliza," added Argyle, speaking gently like a father would. "I can only hope that one day, you'll forgive me and thank me for this."
"We'll see…" Standing up, Jack walked to the couch and picked up Maura from the sofa. "Can I leave now? There are some people who will want to know about this."
"Of course. Our escorts will follow you in secret, so there's no need to worry about them getting in your way. And with your new cloak, I'm sure you'll be able to make a clean get-away."
Just then, a slight smile showed on Jack's face. He looked back at Argyle and laughed, "By the way, I'll have to thank you again for this cloak. I couldn't have asked for a better price. All I had to give up was a peak-tier lv. 65 item and in return you gave me a legend-tier cloak. You really did lose out."
With that, Jack exited and closed the door behind him, not daring to look back at the twitching Argyle.
Livid at his losses, the man laughed out his anger. Even when he had successfully blackmailed Jack, that young hero still had to have the last laugh.
Soon, Eliza came back to the room and found her father laughing hysterically. Unaware of everything that just happened between him and Jack, Eliza asked her father, "What happened? Why did you let Jack go?"
Calming his laughter, Argyle smiled at her. "Eliza, tomorrow you and Jack will be married. From then on, you'll be traveling together with him and you both will have the full support of the Fat Goose."
"WHAT?!?!"
"Hurry and talk to the managers about how you'd like the wedding to be, it's your big day after all."
Not saying another word to his daughter, Argyle left the shouting Eliza alone in the room and immediately started talking to a deep purple crystal in his hand.