Those damned words echoed between my ears. The king's smile was sardonic as he raised an eyebrow and waited for my response.

I leaned closer to Teddy and dropped my voice to a whisper. "How fast could we get a carriage out of the kingdom?"

"It wouldn't work, he has access to teleportation," he responded.

The king snapped his fingers and a series of crystals formed across the ceiling turning the bland roof of metal into a sky filled with twinkling stars. Cerulean light glimmered from within, weaving a careful lattice throughout the room that stretched beyond us.

I stabbed the box and winced as a smooth plane of nearly-visible crystal reflected the attempt.

I'm getting really tired of this. One fucking day, I swear…

"Come, sit," Allaron instructed.

He turned without looking back, expecting us to follow. To his credit, the others did. When I glared at Igas he shrugged and gestured to Teddy's parents.

"Just give in, there's no use fighting this yet."

Yet…

Sereza gently tugged my arm and I complied, allowing her to guide me to a seat furthest away from where the king sat. If the king cared, he said nothing of it. Meanwhile, Teddy's parents mimed lamenting in pained expressions carefully posed as if they were on camera. The grumpy, spiky man holding their leash rolled his eyes and tightened his grip.

"It's nice seeing you again, uncle Tyrrion. Are we expecting company?" Teddy asked.

The spiky man brightened, turning away from his captives to beam a smile Teddy's way. He stepped forward but the loud moan from Nathan froze him in place. His smile strained but at least his eyes held joy.

"Theodore. It's good to see you too. I see you and yours haven't been slacking. Your evolution is beautiful Celanae. Yours as well, Eodyne."

"Thank you," they said while smiling.

The man's gaze glanced over Isaac and Igas, his eyes narrowing. "One brat got bigger while the other stayed the same scrawny boy. Shame."

"Cranky old man," Isaac muttered.

"What was that, boy?"

"Nothing!"

So there is someone Isaac fears, huh. And if that's Tyrrion, I guess Myol was wrong. Judging by his appearance, no wonder he's considered scary. Although, I doubt Teddy's parents are truly trapped. Knowing them, they can get out if they wanted to.

"Oh stop scaring them you coot. They worked hard, let them enjoy some praise for once," Anastasia harrumphed.

"Not in ten decades. That pair of fools continue to disappoint."

"Wait for a few years. I'll make sure to stab you right in the-"

"Enough, all of you. I'm getting a headache and I'm not even in the castle," Allaron said, cutting Isaac off. His command silenced the room. Everyone, including Isaac surprisingly, sat up straighter while shutting their mouths. Allaron sipped from a goblet and relaxed into his chair while gesturing at me. "I've come to have a chat. A simple conversation."

Could I run? No, the king's skill was tier three and while I bet Magnus could make a crack, nothing stopped the man from wielding the resources of the kingdom. Knowing him, the royal-guards were everywhere. No political official of such importance ever went around without their bodyguards.

I eyed Tyrrion and mentally shrugged. Then again, if the all powerful wizard had another all powerful wizard-warrior in the same room, did the king need more protection? I'd feel pretty confident too if I can teleport and my bodyguard could create city-destroying golems.

"What makes you think I'm Strax?" I asked aloud.

"Is that a serious question?" Allaron asked.

"Humour me."

He sipped his drink and swirled it around. His eyes roaming from one person to the next. "Same generally build, slight discrepancy due to illusion but they always have their limits. Hanged around the same group of people, not bothering to hide your connection. Wears masks all the time and shows an affinity toward summoning-related skills. Convenient. Your acquisition of the skillstone and gem bothered me. I couldn't understand why you would choose them out of all the possible rewards while turning down my offer for the evolution orb. But I finally figured it out."

He sat forward, his attention settling on me at the end. "A legacy bearer would have no need for an evolution orb. And if you are a legacy bearer that brought forth only more questions. One naturally uses it as a matter of status, one to wield to gain influence, power, and more. So why didn't you?"

Tyrrion released a low growl as Nathan stood up. The ropes of mud and stone tightened but a robe of water slipped between them, allowing the man to stretch.

"Get to the point, will you Al? You've already terrorized him enough as is."

"You've been damn annoying ever since you ascended. Don't make me bind you for real," Tyrrion warned.

"I said enough. This conversation is between the two of us. You're only here because I doubt Strax would be as at ease if you weren't. Now sit down and let me finish."

"Is that a threat?" Anastasia asked, cocking her head.

Allaron sighed. "Does it need to be?"

My eye started twitching long ago. This whole thank rankled. Better to get it done with.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"What's the point of all this? If you know so much about me, then why does it matter?"

"You're a mystery," he replied.

I clenched my fist and felt the first beat of agitation crawling up my chest. I ignored the spark, letting it settle while accepting the influence.

"I saved a damn city and guarantee the safety of the survivors. I haven't done anything other than defend myself against upstart assholes with ego issues. You telling me your curiosity justifies sending a mind reaper against me?"

"Watch your tone, boy!" Tyrrion shouted.

The king held up a hand, making him back down. Allaron's expression shifted. Different, controlled and reserved.

"You also played healer and offered your service for free to several individuals. Your profile speaks of one who is generally a decent person. You keep to yourself, mingle only with those you know. To this day, Panasia and the guard captain refuse to break their promise to you. You earned their trust."

"Then why?" I scowled.

"Not too long ago, an anomaly occurred in the depths of our city. One involving a certain dungeon. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

The king could no doubt pierce my illusion from the earrings. Either through some sort of skill or one of the probably hundreds of enchanted items he had in his vaults. But I knew for a fact he wouldn't see anything beyond my mask.

I kept my voice modulated, copying the same calm he portrayed while making sure to keep my tail moving.

"I heard of it. Why?"

"Several eye-witnesses and first hand reports claim that they saw Broken Tower entering the dungeon a couple of hours before the incident along with added members. One in particular wore a mask. You tell me."

The others tensed and Teddy's parents were silent, even their usual antics cut short as they observed. Tyrrion stared with enough intensity I could practically feel his mana coiling around the center of his chest.

Anger flared, but I grabbed it, forcing its slow crawl to the forefront. And in that instant, I crushed it flat and bathed in the fragmented feeling.

"Look. What do you want to hear? You want to know if I was in the dungeon? Yes, I was."

"Mordred," Teddy cautioned.

I ignored him and continued. "If you've been researching and spying on me, then you already know everything right? Then what do you want? I'm tired of this. I can't catch a break for a single damn night. Just get on with the bullshit. I'm not playing these games."

A couple of eyes in the room bulged out of their sockets. Tyrrion's eye twitched hard enough to be mistaken for a seizure while Nathan and Anastasia's jaw dropped wide open. As for my teammates, Sereza looked stricken while Khrem looked mildly uncomfortable.

Oh well, they would have to get used to it. There was only so much crap I was willing to put up with.

Laughter cut through the tension like a bulldozer. Anastasia guffawed while Nathan clapped. The both of them slipped from the bindings and stood up and walked past the surprised Tyrrion.

"Hate to break it to you, Allaron. But it looks like your interrogation ends here. Unless you plan on actually explaining your side of things, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Nathan said.

"Hey, the both of you get your asses back here right now!" Tyrrion commanded.

Anastasia swung her sword and rested it against the man's neck. He didn't look afraid, already a curving piece of stone jutted out of a hole in his armor and separated his flesh from the sharpened metal.

"Tyrrion, I value our friendship, I do. But try to use your skill on me one more time. I'll run you through the kingdom and over the sea. Got it?" Anastasia said with a smile.

Allaron looked up toward Nathan and sipped his drink. "Would you force me out?"

"If he requests it, then yes. I'd prefer not to, it'd be a massive pain to deal with," Nathan replied.

"I see." Allaron summoned two boxes with a wave of his hand. "Tyrrion, you can stop the act. We're not here to fight."

Tyrrion's eyes narrowed but he stepped away from Anastasia while the ropes retracted into his palm. Anastasia patted his shoulder and he visibly winced from the impact. With the same polite smile as her husband, she moved to join Nathan and rested her blade with the tip against the floor.

"Thank the sun. I wasn't looking forward to battling grumpy. His mud never melts right."

"That threat was cute when you were tier two. Now it's annoying," Tyrrion huffed.

"Children. Please," Allaron begged.

"You're barely older than us. I don't want to hear it. If you'd like I can tell the kids about the time we snuck into the kitchen and-" Anastasia started before Allaron snapped his fingers loud enough to to rustle my clothes from the soundwave.

"Inside is your reward from the tournament." He pointed to the second box and a small crystal formed atop its cover slotting into a small hole. The two chests started floating and drifted toward my feet. "The second one is my apology."

"Apology for what?" I said, eyeing the chests warily.

Allaron tapped the armrest of his chair, creating melodic tinkling with each touch. "My suspicion aside, I never intended for the mind reaper. It was not my plan for them to stoop so low, but the fools went beyond my expectation. For that I apologize."

I ignored the chests even as they came to a stop by my feet. The crystals detached and dispersed as the mana holding the constructs flooded downward into the shell around the room.

"So there was a plan?"

"To a degree. They used a favor owed to them for several decades worth of reputation. I was preoccupied and gave my advisor a tentative agreement to allow them to spend it. There is reform coming and I need those of their faction out of my way."

"So you used me?" I said, tightening my grip on the armrest.

Allaron stared with dead eyes. "Yes. I have reasons to believe you are trouble. But anything they did could be recovered. Nathan and Anastasia would demand nothing less. Of course I wasn't expecting how idiotic the houses would be. In my absence they crossed the line. For what it's worth, they went a step too far and will be trialed extensively in the coming months. More than a few heads will roll and more than a half a dozen minor houses will be all but dismantled. That I can guarantee."

That was it? Coincidence? That was the whole fucking plot twist? Stupid people did stupid things and my bad luck reared its ugly head to double down.

I nearly laughed, the urge overwhelmed my annoyance but it wouldn't come. I cracked my neck and threaded mana. Chomperz appeared and he extended his jaw, but a thought occurred and I held him back.

A quick flick of my tail pushed the lids on the chests open, revealing their contents. The first held a skillstone on a plush blue pillow, while the second contained five metal bars of an unknown alloy.

I swiped the chest and dragged them upward. Chomperz swallowed them whole and slipped back into my soulspace without a word.

"If that's all, I believe we're done," I declared.

Allaron glanced at the chests and smirked.

"I believe we are. Thank you for allowing this conversation."

Not that I had a choice in the matter.

I waited and so did the others. An invisible ticking echoed in my head as I imagined a clock counting down. But the king merely sipped his drink and held his head in his hand.

"Uh, are you waiting for something?" I asked.

"Hmm? What makes you think that?"

"Don't you have places to be?"

"Not in particular."

Okay, what in the hells is going on?

Silence followed for an incredibly long, and agonizing time. Eventually, Anastasia tapped the king's shoulder, drawing his attention.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Were you planning on staying here or was Modred right. There's surely plenty of sycophants eager to kiss your ass."

"Oh, is that it?" Allaron chuckled. "Don't worry, I have no plans of going anywhere else tonight."

What?

"Allaron…"

"The auctions are being held and I promised to come but I don't particularly want to have my feet kissed right now. Besides, what a better place to hide while my son is attending the auction. You know how it is. Rarely do you get to observe their actions up close. So settle in, there's plenty of room. Would you like some wine?" he offered.

Nathan and Anastasia exchanged looks before turning to me with a regretful expression.

"You have any Viper's Kiss?" Nathan asked, already sitting on one of the couches.

"You're not worth that."

"Oh come on, it's the least you can do."

The two started casually arguing back and forth with Allaron eventually summoning one of Bera's bottles. Tyrrion remained in his corner by the king's side but was otherwise stoic while even Broken Tower turned traitor. While Isaac flashed pearly white teeth in a knowing smile I contemplated banging my head against the wall.

At least ending it would spare me from whatever dragonshit the king had planned.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.