Read Novel Full Chapter 1244: Devil...
Chapter 1244: Devil...
Light pulsed from artifacts, each device an anchor for a voice.
Mediator, the de facto leader of the Vesper Consortium, sat alone in his safe room with the map of the Greenvale Duchy spread across the table before him.
He watched the glow of each artifact, matching a tone or a flicker to a name: Maelstrom’s iron-red pulse, Whisper’s cool blue thread, Mercy’s slow amber ring, Garrick’s deep, steady beat, Broker’s sharp silver. Black Fang’s artifact remained dark and cold.
They have not been able to reach the woman ever since her hideout was invaded by Kaede and Lilith.
Maelstrom’s laugh broke first, loud enough to rattle the markers on the map. His voice filled the room, full of swagger. "You should’ve seen it! The Fujimori army fell apart before the might of our men and women! Their banners have been trampled while their commander fled in the mud!"
He victoriously slammed his palm down on his own table for added effect.
"A victory, then," Mediator summarized the man’s bragging.
"Yes," Maelstrom confirmed. "Their forces lost more than twenty thousand men while our brave defenders barely lost two thousand! This is one of the greatest victories of Iskaris’ history!"
Whisper’s, the man responsible for the intelligence department, blue thread lit up all of a sudden. "You left out important facts, General."
Maelstrom instantly snapped. "What facts, you rat? You never smell the mud of a battlefield, only that of the sewers!"
Whisper did not care about being berated by his colleague. Pride was not something a man of his kind cared for. "That it was not you who dueled Kaede and won, but Black Fang. That it was not your subordinate, Veil Walker Rynne, but our Vesper Phenom, Devil, who broke their lines. You didn’t even arrive before the siege was over."
Maelstrom’s artifact flared, and his tone coiled into anger. "That’s pure nonsense! Sing your fantasies in a tavern, not at this table. Without Captain Rynne and our honorable warriors, both Black Fang and Devil would’ve been uselessly slaughtered."
Then he took a deep breath and added, "Furthermore, you say I didn’t arrive before the siege was over, but you framed it wrong! The siege ended because I was about to arrive, and the enemies fled knowing I was mere minutes away from taking to the battlefield! If they stayed, I would’ve ended the siege within moments!"
Whisper spoke slow as a snake. "You speak of glory and success, Maelstrom. Yet my sources say Devil offered to move you to the northern front, where Queen Morgana besieged another stronghold. Instead, you chased the routed Fujimori."
Maelstrom quickly quieted down upon hearing that, and he had the most contorted expression as he saw that Whisper’s artifact was still not done with transmitting the rat’s words. "My question: how many extra casualties of the defeated Fujimori did that pursuit earn us? Were they worth the thousands we lost due to Morgana’s siege, or the tens of thousands of gold we sunk into that fortress now held by her banners?"
Silence rode the line.
That was until Mediator finally broke it after a few excruciatingly long seconds. "Enough. The Fujimori threat isn’t gone yet. Their army’s crippled, but our sources suggest that Kaede survived. The elders are still active, and their top fighters remain untouched. We hurt their numbers, yes, but not their core."
Maelstrom couldn’t help but gasp. "Wait... you already knew what happened? I came here to report, and that damned rat told you first while I was chasing them?"
Whisper’s tone stayed level. "Information moves faster than your old legs, General."
Mercy’s amber light pulsed softly. "Morgana’s actions also concern me. Can her presence indicate that the royal family are willing to participate, or has she just gone rogue as she sometimes does?"
Garrick’s deep voice rumbled through the room. "Even if the Fujimori are limping, someone else will take their place. I’m surprised Alastair Greenvale hasn’t already launched an invasion. He’s been too quiet. And there’s Tharion of Ravenshade, who’s playing the model duke for now, but who knows how long that’ll last. Not to mention the Covenant of Eternity or other wild horses who might just decide to participate."
Broker’s silver tone cut through the line. "He’s right. The power balance is shifting faster than we can track. We need to stay alert at all times and respond to developments as swiftly as possible."
Mediator nodded. "Good. Then we’re on the same page, everyone. Keep your defenses tight and your ears open. You all know what you have to do. But there’s something else."
"I want contact with Black Fang and Devil established," the Mediator said. "They’re too valuable to leave in the dark. Reaching them could change everything. Whisper, use your network. Mercy, spread the word through your channels. Our information suggests Devil likes to dabble in slavery, or at least he did buy a couple of them when he started out... Broker, prepare incentives."
"Yes," they said in a chorus.
The room went quiet again with each pulse flickering once before fading out, one by one.
Mediator leaned back, listening to the silence settle across the chamber. The last ripple of blue from Whisper’s artifact vanished, leaving him alone once more.
He reached toward the stack of documents at his side, pulling free a folded sheet. A portrait stared back at him. The sharp eyes, the slight tilt of the lips, the calm defiance in every line.
Devil.
"The mask has finally been shedded... So this is how you look, Devil..."
Mediator traced a thumb across the inked jawline while sporting a troubled expression. "The Primordial Villain, huh..." he murmured.
He let the paper rest flat again as he stared into the portrait’s firm eyes. "I thought you’d need all the luck in the world to survive the bounty placed on your head..." he whispered quietly as a knowing smile crossed his face. "But maybe it’s the nobles who’ll need the luck when they finally face you. I can only hope that you don’t think of us as enemies to trample on as well..."
...
Vex sat slumped against the nearest tree outside the sauna, still panting softly.
Steam rolled from the door seams in slow breaths. Two of Quinlan’s blue-skinned soul soldiers crouched beside her and used their hands to fan her face.
The door of the sauna creaked open.
Black Fang stepped out first, her face unreadable. A towel hung around her body, drenched with sweat. She walked out without a word.
Then came Quinlan. Naked, relaxed, and smiling. His hair was damp, water trailing down his chest. He gave a little wave to Vex, then grinned wide.
"See? I’m in one piece. Told you not to worry so much."
Vex blinked upon hearing that and her eyes darted from him to Black Fang. The lack of tension between them felt strange, too calm for what had just gone on inside. She studied their faces a bit longer, waiting for some crack in the mask, then exhaled.
"... I’m sorry..." she muttered at last. "I think my hormones are not in order today. I’ve been a bit too much, haven’t I?"
Quinlan walked over, crouched, and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"You’re never too much. My sexy Hexwitch is a needy, overprotective, and ever so slightly unhinged woman by default. That’s part of your charm."
"Hmph!" Vex scoffed while sporting a loving expression on her face.
Even when being called a crazed lunatic by her man, she could still not stop loving him with all her heart.
So, with the most adorable of pouts, she once again looked up and asked, "What did you discuss...?"
"You’ll have to ask that from Miss Terror. Part of our deal was that it remains between the two of us. Let’s go, shall we, my beloved witch?"