Free Web NovelChapter 40: Chapter 040: The Night Is Young
Mikael’s eyes glistened with excitement.
’The strongest mortal! If he could kill him...’
The excitement dialed down a bit.
"Was there any need to send the boy, Evander, awayDuke Alan? He is your heir, no?" Even Mikael was surprised when the Duke had abruptly asked the lad to leave. Was there something they didn’t want him to hear, yet?
Duke Alan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. " Like I told him, there are things in this Empire that he’s not yet worthy or old enough to know. Yes, he is my heir and that is why I am protecting him."
"If that is how it is," Mikael replied shrugging. "So, who’s our mystery person. What do you know about him?"
"The Imperial family," the Duke began, "has been around for ages, since ages long forgotten, even if it changed form and substance sometimes. And never once has their power been questioned, tried, and proven wanting.
This Empire itself is quite tenacious, that is like one of our...most endearing feature. It has survived countless wars against the other races, rebel armies, even rogue Saints. And we still came out on top in most of these situations. Now this, made people wonder why that was, as time went on. Why the Romanian Empire triumphed even in the face of absolute, sure defeat. Clinton, fetch me the bottle of wild cherry wine. Do you take alcohol, Mikael?"
"Yes, Your Grace." The butler went out in silent steps.
" There’s a first time for everything. But still...chasing another one away, are you, Duke Alan? You are quite the deceptive one," Mikael questioned, curious.
The Duke laughed, the warm and hearty kind that distilled the previous gloomy aura that pervaded in the study.
"Of course not. Clinton already knows all these things. He did serve my father after all."
"A surprise. He doesn’t look that old at all. Must be quite the most loyal of your servants," Mikael asked thoughtfully.
"He’s more like a brother than a butler to me, Mikael. Very trustworthy. A good soul."
"So why do you feel at ease revealing state secrets to a stranger who randomly pulled up to your house, killed a few of your guards, and even threatened your family’s life. At least your children’s and your subordinates’". The reason he added the last statement was the ’police’ who always had an eye on him ever since his arrival; the quite maturely beautiful Duchess, Selena. The current him, even with the celestial essence flow now assured, wouldn’t be able to take her down without major injuries.
"I might be a foe for all you know."
The Duke’s expression turned grim, serious. He stroked his beard.
"That is all true. Hmm... Let’s just call it a gut feeling. That at least for now, you are not my foe. It could change in the future, but for now,no."
Mikael’s curiosity spiked. "Your gut feeling? Your family might have already been killed. And you trust your gut? A quite interesting behavior." How could one leave important decisions to the feelings of their stomachs, their guts!?
’I will be sure to check out this guy feeling later on.’
The Duke leaned forward, elbows on the table. His voice was grave, with the ring of quiet that showed a bit of danger that did not need to announce itself to the entire room. Just to its intended target.
" While you seemed to have ascend a rank or two since you were gone, it still wouldn’t save you from dying by my- our hands. Unless you somehow manage to become a Sage Rank, that would be your saving grace. Now then, Mikael. Allow me to ask the questions this time— who are you, and where did you come from? What are your intentions here, and who do you work for? I believe it is time I asked the questions."
Duke Alan has tried to decipher Mikael’s identity from his actions, his thought processes, but had not been able to find out anything. His behavior pattern was irregular, and so was his speech pattern, and his general disposition. In addition to the fact his aura spiked and fluctuated from low ranks to much more higher ones, a very unusual phenomenon. The only things he was somewhat sure of, was the fact that Mikael was human, although that may also be false. Then the fact that he kept his words was also a plus, not to mention his genius!
Just then the doors of the study slid open, revealing the old butler with a bottle and three flutes balanced on a tray.
"Your Graces, Mikael . Your wine," he said, setting down the wine glasses before the two seated at the table, before pouring the soft pink hued wine.
Mikael drank of his first, testing it. Its taste was sweet yet sharp, with a crisp bite and lingering flavor underneath. "Good stuff," he said, raising his glass in acknowledgment.
"Naturally," the Duke replied. "Now, Mikael..."
Mikael held up a hand. "I’ll talk whenever I feel like it. It’s not like my origin story would sound believable to all of you here. So for now, I suggest you reap your benefits of me, while I’m still nice and all." His study of books so far has shown that mortals tend to not take well with things they couldn’t understand. And it was not like he needed to reveal himself to them in the first place.
The Duchess merely cast a glance at the white haired brat, sincerely waiting, praying for an opportunity to clobber the poor lad. Something about him deeply unsettled her.
Alas, not even considering the option of risking her children’s or the household’s safety, she stayed her hand.
The Duke sighed in resignation. "Be warned though, boy. I will have no hesitation in denying you when the situation calls for it. And my benefits, I am already reaping, so have no worry on that front and rest easy." He took another sip of his wine.
" Just as my wife says, toying with the Empire is risky business. If that person, the source of that rumor, notices that we plan to just get the Rank Breaker into the market like that, they might conclude treason, and the House of Limnor might just cease to exist. History has documented quite enough examples. I don’t intend on my adding my family to the list."
"That’s why I said you should set the board yourselves. Play the Imperial family with its own rules, and its minions, to your profit. I already said I won’t mass produce the Rank Breaker. And maybe I’ll set the price at one billion gold a piece."
All their eyes in the study darted to Mikael in shock and surprise.
"Surely, that is fraud, boy. Do you want us dead?" Clinton’s calm expression broke down instantly.
Selena asked, completely losing her cool. "Are you out of your damned mind?!"
"Dear, language." The Duke, though, was calm. He turned to Mikael. "Seeing your recollected expression, dare I say you have a plan. Spill it."
Mikael tilted his head slightly, a strand of his white hair slipping across his forehead. The warm smile lingered. "There is nothing much. Per the most necessary of your customs, use your authority, invite the Merchants and we’ll convince them of its safety and worth. We’ll start earning billions right of the bat. It’s that simple. And I won’t hide away. For now, that is. So anyone who thinks they can take me on then, I’ll gladly welcome the challenge. Not necessarily battles, for I am quite confident in my knowledge as of late."
"And the Quasi-God?"
"I’ll deal with him somehow. Or we probably wouldn’t even need to. If your Empire sanctions it, there’s no need for him to get involved." Mikael rubbed his hair, like the title was a bother that just sought his attention.
" And you are sure that things will play out exactly as you rule? You are either very brave, confident or rather foolish and proud. I can’t seem to decide which." The Duchess questioned, her eyes filled with doubt, with a touch of venom.
"My lady, Selena, you should really stop frowning. You’ll get wrinkles faster."
The boy laughed alone, as the other two men in the room strived to keep their mouths shut.
The statement struck a nerve as the Duchess glanced at her husband, her bloodlust this time clearly visible for all to see!
"Dear, let it slide, please."
Selena eyed her husband furiously before standing up and leaving the study. Before all hell let loose.
"Selena!" The doors closing gave the Duke her reply. She was leaving, end of question.
" My apologies if it sounded rude, Duke Alan," Mikael said, setting down his glass. " She’s a fine woman, and you, a lucky man."
Duke Alan shook his head a little while heaving a sigh. A small smile pursed his lips. " I am."
The meeting wound slowly toward its end. The strategy settled in roughly.
The relic would not just be immediately paraded. It would be presented to the Imperial Merchant Office per Imperial laws. The auctions would begin after the verification comes, discreetly, with Clinton overseeing correspondence, while the Duke himself and the Duchess would set the ground, weave whatever social thread they could.
Through it all, Mikael’s presence had been impossible to ignore. Each of his words shaped the course of the meeting. At some point, the Duke wondered what they were even paranoid about in the first place.
Yes, it was the most groundbreaking achievement of possibly a few centuries and would undoubtedly raise eyebrows, and enemies, and allies. But Mikael had subtly eased their minds from overthinking the entire situation. If anything he, the creator, was the one who would probably have the hardest time out of them all. Yet his carefree, almost lacklustre disposition did not even give off a hint of being troubled.
The letters from the Academy would come in a few days, and hopefully everything would be falling into place by then.
The Duke rose first when the final papers were set aside.
"Then it’s as we decided", he said, clasping his guest’s shoulder briefly in camaraderie.
Clinton moved with quiet precision as always, collecting the parchments, and extinguishing the lamps one by one
Mikael, last to stand, stretched lazily. His golden eyes gleamed with excitement and his smile was easy and warm. Two targets clear in mind: wealth and the desire to meet the strongest. All these, mere steps towards his ultimate goal of transcendence of the divine.
"The night is young," he muttered to no one in particular.
And though the duo with him completely misunderstood his own context, they both shared the sentiment. They were now part of a force, powerful enough to alter fates and write a new history.
Indeed, the night was too young and they could not wait for dawn!
