Dark Lord in Chains 58

Realizing that the mysterious Phoenix lady was searching for the same little artifact the Queen was searching for was a dangerous proposition. Standing in the bullseye of a mysterious entity that radiated magic even as she stood was hardly the best news. 

However, it wasn’t the worst news either. Possessing their objective meant that I could control their progress. Especially since Lancelot, thanks to his excessive desire for glory, decided to hide some very important details from her, which allowed me a great deal of freedom in determining my strategy. 

And as I watched Lancelot desperately explain his contributions while the Phoenix looked down at her dismissively, I came to a decision. 

A reckless one, one that would have been called a stupid plan by most people. 

I was going to bargain directly with the mysterious Phoenix. 

There was no doubt that it was a risky decision, one that run against my natural instincts of minimizing the risks. Trying to bargain with a completely unknown agent was a dangerous affair, especially one that eclipsed me in power significantly. 

Unfortunately, risky didn’t mean unnecessary. 

It was one thing most people misunderstood about the nature of the risk, that it needed to be minimized all the time. Sometimes, the situation moved too fast, too unpredictably, that it required a reckless leap for even a hope of maintaining a semblance of control over the situation. 

The appearance of two mysterious magical entities, both clearly stronger than the combination of Dark Families and the Empire, more than enough to qualify as a situation moving quickly, forcing me to pick a side — to steal some of their speed of course, as my loyalty was not for sale. 

It was reserved for personal use only. 

Unlike Lancelot, who finished his explanation why despite failing to find the location of the core, he had displayed a great deal of heroism, an expression reminding me of an enthusiastic puppy. He clearly had no problem changing his loyalty because of a sudden change of affection — making his earlier monologue to Isolde about his so-called lack of reward misleading at best. 

Like I needed a reason not to like the blond asshole. 

Clearly, my dismissal was shared by the Phoenix lady, because the only thing Lancelot earned was a barely dismissive wave of a hand, though if Lancelot’s wide smirk was any indicator, he failed to read that detail particularly. “All I hear is excuses. Go and find it,” she ordered, going as far as casting a silencing spell on Lancelot when he tried to argue. 

Only then, he realized that his charm wasn’t working the way he was used to. His frustration at women suddenly not falling to their feet just because of hero status was amusing — not that he knew what to do when the women showed any interest in the first place, considering their lack of experience before I decided to help them with that particular deficiency. 

Lancelot turned to leave, while the phoenix turned to Emma. “You know your next mission as well. Make sure you plant the runes to the locations on the map,” she said as a map floated toward Emma. At a glance, I was able to recognize the general layout of the Mage Guild, but before I could get a better look, Emma folded the map and left, Lancelot following with a blank expression. 

Leaving me alone with the Phoenix lady. 

“Is this a private party, or anyone could join?” I said as I stepped out of the shadows, dispelling the magic that was hiding me even as I put a wide smirk on my face, doing my best to exude confidence. 

Her reaction was interesting. 

Her wings of flame flared, radiating magic enough to drown a weaker man, forcing me to rely on the shield’s effect to look unaffected. Still, despite her initial reaction, she continued to sit, looking dismissive, like everything was under her control. 

A reaction that didn’t surprise me considering what I was able to read about her personality until the moment. 

The number of constructs meant that she had access to great riches, and her magical power turned her into a solo weapon of mass destruction, but despite her powers, I wasn’t desperate, because of three great factors. 

She was spoiled, alone, and clearly in a great hurry. 

Her spoiled nature was obvious from the way she spoke, carelessly treating Lancelot and Emma, two assets she had acquired just a day ago, an attitude that wasn’t calculated. It reeked of entitlement, the kind that only occurred when someone had servants around following every little order since their childhood. It was an attitude I had often observed in some of the more annoying scions of Dark Families. 

She was alone, because the walk around her base revealed an endless amount of constructs — which was clearly something more attainable for someone in her status and power — but no servants, no warriors, no guard. With her personality, if she had others around, she would have used them as a guard. 

Most importantly, she was clearly in a great hurry. Not just because she had forced Emma and Lancelot to act at a speed that would risk their mission — which could be easily dismissed as bad strategic awareness — but because she had acted herself, despite the clear distaste she felt dressing as a servant. 

For someone as spoiled as her to act, there was clearly some great urgency forcing her. 

Though, one negative thing about her poor personality was that I had no idea about what I was supposed to read into her hurry. It was clearly important to her, but the implications of my situation were a complete mystery. 

All that analysis made my move less of a great disaster, and more of a measured push, like a gambler trying to turn the game into a well-timed gamble. It still had the risk of turning into a total disaster, but it gave me a good chance to climb up. 

And her reaction, still on her seat, just radiating a threatening amount of magic, confirmed that my choice wasn’t horrible. 

“Who are you?” she asked in a calm tone, a tone I might have respected as great composure if it wasn’t its dismissive nature of her tone. Apparently, she wasn’t impressed by my sudden appearance. 

It was a difficult question. For a moment, I was tempted to pull the same merchant trick I had pulled against the Queen. Unfortunately, with the level of dismissiveness she displayed toward Lancelot and Emma, I had a feeling that, if I dared to declare myself as a mysterious merchant, I would receive a fireball in response. 

Under the circumstances, honesty was a very good option. 

“I’m the King that was supposed to be dead, your Highness,” I said. Honesty was a very good option. 

But not the best one. 

Not to mention, it wasn’t even too far from the truth, at least for a given value of it. After all, I was regularly having sex with the queen and telling her what to do. I even had some plans to fund the treasury. It should count for something, right?

“Isn’t the king supposed to be dead?” she asked, though clearly dismissive. 

“It is what I wanted others to believe,” I explained. “After some mysterious force started sabotaging my throne room with their mysterious magic, I decided that the best thing to do was to keep a low profile.” It was a good explanation, not just because it explained the sudden disappearance, but also automatically put me in opposition to her enemies. 

“So, you’re a coward,” she said dismissively. 

“If you wish to call it that, your Highness,” I said, realizing she had missed the nuance I was trying to sell her. She was more lacking in political awareness than I had been expecting. 

“Unfortunately, courage is the domain of the strong and the dead. I don’t belong to the first group, and I have no plans to join the second one. But at least, locked between two great powers, I know who to serve.” 

Even as I said that statement, my mind was working with great speed, trying to piece together every single piece of information I was able to piece together during the last few days. 

She looked at me the same dismissive gaze she threw to Lancelot, but the way her tenseness drained — which was limited in the first place — shocked me. She clearly accepted my story at the face value. 

Maybe I underestimated just how spoiled she was. 

“What can you offer me?” she asked, not even asking me any follow-up questions about my intent to serve. 

“I can offer you information, like Lancelot was pretending to do by telling lies.” 

“What do you mean?” she said, the flames on her back getting higher.

 “He doesn’t know where the Eternal Core is, and he’s just using some clues provided by the Dark Lord they had managed to capture a couple months ago.” 

“And how do you know that?” 

“My secret hideout is quite close to his cell, and we managed to build a rapport,” I said, quick to create yet another imaginary connection. “He told me that he had no intention of giving them the location, and even if he did, they had no way of acquiring it. It’s deep in the dark lands.” 

“Oh, really,” she said, leaning forward, but I didn’t miss her sudden tenseness, the first fearful reaction since I had entered. “Where?” 

Her tenseness surprised me. It was the first sign of panic she had displayed. Combined with her lack of support despite the existence of a Dark Family that literally worships the Phoenixes, I decided to take another risk. 

“It’s very smart, actually. He apparently hid under the base of one of his rival Dark Families, Fyre Eternus.” 

“No!” she gasped in shock, the flame burning even more, covering her body. Power radiated endlessly from her, giving me a very uncomfortable boner in the process. 

I had a certain preference toward dangerous women, and she was the most dangerous one I had the pleasure of meeting for a long while. 

“Tell me it’s well hidden!” she ordered. 

“Don’t worry, your highness, no one other than you even know it’s even there. He’s good at hiding stuff.” 

“Good,” she said, her tone getting calmer in the process. 

Meanwhile, I was trying to decide what to do next.