บท 59: Fast Approaching
Inside the royal castle, everything was going as per usual, two maids were busy gossiping instead of working, a servant was pushing a rolling tray cart, a guard fell to the ground after falling asleep while standing...
However, everyone felt like their heart were under more pressure than usual, as if an invisible hand was lightly grasping at it.
The servant arrived before a door that didn't look any different from the other but his long experience allowed him to find his way around without any problem, nothing some terrible, heart-clutching anxiety could falter.
Hearing a pleasing voice allow him to enter before he could even knock, he pushed the door open, wheeled the cart in, payed his respects and quickly made his way out.
It didn't show but he didn't really want to extend his stay inside there for even a second more, even if by all accounts, a royal knight chosen to take part in the duels that were to take place soon should be someone noble-minded.
He couldn't forget the fact that she was a vampire, even if sun-walking, a vampire remained a vampire and it was no secret that she wasn't shy about drinking from the servants.
His fate would have been to be drained just enough to not kick the bucket even with his speedy tactics, however, the royal knight had her mind somewhere else.
She raised an eyebrow as she failed to sensed what should definitely be there.
"Long time no see" suddenly, the ear-bending voice she had been expecting suddenly rang out as Axio stepped out of the tray and grew back to his normal size.
"As charming as ever I see..." remarked Bizinda as she covered her ears a bit.
"Your melodious voice even makes an undead flinch..." she added as she scanned the wretch, although his outward appearance hadn't changed in the slighest, he was even wearing the same clothes in the same manner rather bafflingly.
"No need to hold back on the compliments" he said as he took a seat on nearby couch.
"I have information for you, the obsidian miss and this place's king have randomly drawn who will be fighting who, though, it was rigged obviously, I was in the box with the little pieces of paper the whole time, can you believe this? A gargantuan lump of obsidian and some old guy with a crown too big for his head drawing lots from a little box to decide by who his guys will be slaughtered by?" he snickered, which was basically equivalent to a sound assault on Bizinda's poor ears.
"So? What are the results?" questioned the vampire as she started digging into the food brought with the cart.
"Am I supposed to stage a fight with you?" she asked, knowing that as much of a menace the little wretch could be, he wasn't very much a battle-born.
If anyone was to lose, it was probably him.
"Don't insult me blood-sucker, you are fighting with Sovereign Of Flesh, you are both nigh immortal, so you can fight like normal without problem with her, this will let you keep your position as an insider, you'll just have to be splatted to a bloody pulp a few times and be declared as the loser since you can't die with what Sovereign will use" he simply revealed as he also started picking food from the cart.
"Huh? Then you are fighting one of the other six? Who?" she asked a bit surprised, wondering if this was by the Obsidian Queen's design or if Wretched Lord had done and messed around.
"A certain... Gonas? The Mayor of some town I believe..." the wretch scratched his chin in thought, failing to remember the town's name as it truly bore no importance to him.
"Gonas? That's... Unfortunate, he can be a devil with his fists and he is also the mayor of a town you went through, remember? The one where we first met, I hope for you that he won't connect the dots, that will only make him even more dangerous" spoke Bizinda, unlike the wretch, who didn't bother too much with his adversary, she was worried that a minister might actually be bested.
If that happened, it would open a door that should be left closed, after all, if everyone saw that one of the monster queen's seven best was beaten, it would only make them believe that this war was one that could actually be won.
There would always be dissidents but that was different, they would be fueled with hope, a poison that wasn't easily cleansed from the system.
"Do you really believe that I'll lose? Me? I am god in the flesh! Don't forget it" Axiolypito, as per usual didn't even consider loss to be an outcome, not only due to his inflated ego that no one could dream to rival but also because he had prepared well.
Truthfully, Bizinda didn't like the wretch much, like any sane person should and would, but there was also the fact that she didn't dislike the old Gonas, she had fought alongside him in the past, back when the Obsidian Queen didn't exist, when she was truly loyal to this kingdom.
"Say, Axiolypito" she said, making him turn his head upon hearing her calling him by his full name.
During the few years of preparation for the duels, he had had to converse with all of the minister and apart from Cradled Lich, none seemed to bother to do so after a little while.
Referring to him as 'Axio', as though they were friends or something.
Due to this fact, it seemed to have spread to the entirety of the forces, even the lesser monsters had begun calling him Axio, they might add 'minister', 'sir' or anything else but it didn't change the fact that he didn't appreciate it in the least.
"Suspicious behavior, go on" he noted aloud.
"I would like you to make sure Gonas comes out alive of your fight, I don't know what makes you so confident but whatever it is, don't kill him, please" she asked, making the wretch's brain short-circuit for a second.
'Why the hell would she ask that?!'
"It depends on what you have to-" he rose his head and closed his eyes like a snobby noble as he spoke but upon hearing her next words, he stopped.
"-I know you've been going around for such things, I can dish out things even Faceless Lord as no clue where to get" she smiled, revealing his pointy fangs.
"You know what I like to hear, very well then, Gonas shall not be a goner"
'That sounded awful, is it because it wasn't belittling?' his face scrunched up.
"You better keep your word" he added before shrinking and quickly running off.
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