Chapter 233: Lutehand Alliance (3)
“You’re saying…”
“They’ve already added the Kingdom of Ashen to their list of hostile factions, and are gathering intelligence, preparing to overthrow the so-called Darkness Leadership?”
In the royal Main Palace, the Red Dragon lay sprawled across the Iron Throne, exhaling a sulfurous breath with a snort of disdain.
“Ah, so it’s the Lutehand Alliance sending you. Nose sharper than a hound’s—truly a troublesome bunch of Home folk.”
Kai Xiusu glanced down at Richard Sieg, lying crumpled on the floor, then smirked.
“So… what price shall you pay?”
“My stomach’s still rather empty.”
Under the crushing weight of Dragon威 and the threat of his companion’s life, Richard Sieg had long since broken. His hair was matted, his body trembling as he knelt, utterly devoid of the proud bearing of the once-revered Ranger favored by the Supreme Fey.
“I—I’ve told you everything!”
His voice was hoarse, scraped raw by agony.
Kai Xiusu rose slowly, each step deliberate, approaching the half-elf like a storm descending. An invisible wave of Dragon威 swept over him—Richard could even smell the acrid tang of sulfur on the air, as if the very breath of death was upon him.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"The price you’ve paid? It’s nothing compared to the fate of your precious elven lover."
"If that’s all, just imagine… the moment she’s in my jaws, screaming as my fangs tear her apart, shred her flesh—”
A faint, chilling glow flickered in his vertical pupils—the Fear Tremble, the final crack in the half-elf’s shattered soul.
Richard’s eyes glazed over. His mind was gone. He could already see it—the unbearable vision.
It wasn’t rumor that the Red Dragon had a taste for elves. It was documented. Even the Lutehand Alliance’s intelligence reports noted it in red ink, written in bold, deliberate strokes.
He slammed his forehead against the stone floor again and again. Blood streamed from his temple, tracing dark paths down his cheeks.
"Please… spare her. I’ll give you anything. Even… even if you eat me."
Kai Xiusu returned to the Throne, cold and impassive.
"You’re worth nothing to me."
He paused—just for a breath.
"But I do need you. To carry out certain tasks. That’s your only value. The tiniest sliver."
Richard’s eyes flared with desperate hope—like a drowning man grasping at a straw.
"W-what do you need me to do?"
He was ready. Prepared for any demand.
His will had been shattered. His mind broken. He was now nothing but a puppet, begging for mercy.
Kai Xiusu spoke slowly, each word precise:
"I want you to return to the Lutehand Alliance. Become a double agent for the Kingdom."
Richard froze. Then, with hollow resignation, he nodded.
“Yes, my lord.”
Kai Xiusu gave a slow, satisfied nod.
“My Subordinate Spellcasters will provide you with a Communication Magic Device.
At a fixed time each month, you must report intelligence on the Lutehand Alliance. If we discover discrepancies—false data, or silence—we’ll know.”
He paused again.
A sharp, vivid Magical Image flared into existence in the hall.
There she was—tall, graceful, bound in a cold iron cage, like a golden bird trapped in a gilded prison. The female elf’s eyes were closed, her brow furrowed in silent anguish, still reeling from the crushing defeat she’d suffered.
“From now on… you’ll never see her again.”
Richard stared at her face, heart breaking. He lowered his head, lips trembling.
“Abeir…”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll do it.
Believe me… I will complete the mission.”
The waiting Tiefling Guard stepped forward from behind, binding his wrists. He was led through the kingdom’s corridors, escorted to Lanpu’s Wizard Tower—not a fight, not a protest. Just silence. Total surrender.
He glanced back one last time—toward the horizon—as if hoping to catch a glimpse of her once more.
“Abeir… wait for me. I’ll rescue you.”
This kind-hearted, wild-hearted Half-Elf Ranger, once the scourge of evil, now forced to serve the very darkness he’d sworn to destroy—became an agent of the Kingdom of Ashen, betraying his past, his ideals, his soul.
Such was the cold, unyielding truth.
“Another intelligence channel secured.”
The Lutehand Alliance?
Tch. Meddling Home folk. One day, they’ll pay.
“Though… that Silver Dragon seems to have ties with them too.”
Kai Xiusu yawned lazily, then connected with Lanpu’s Magic Mirror.
“Have you taken over the Ranger from the lute-player?”
“Yes, Master. Everything went perfectly. Your wisdom made him too terrified to resist. He’s now a loyal puppet of the Kingdom.”
Lanpu’s voice trembled with excitement—clearly fresh from the Experimentation Lab.
“And he carries something… extraordinary. A power, said to be from the legendary Supreme Fey.
Those ancient beings in the Fae Wastes possess wondrous strength. His patron… likely a being of Legendary Level, or even higher. But they rarely interfere directly in the Prime Material Plane.”
“I think… we might steal that strength.”
“Oh?” Kai Xiusu’s interest barely stirred.
Such Supreme Fey, powerful enough to rule their own domains in the Outer Planes, typically only favored the righteous. Their power leaned toward natural miracles—far from Kai Xiusu’s own nature. Even if he obtained it, it would be useless. A burden, not a boon.
He merely warned:
“Proceed with experiments. But keep him alive. I won’t have my spy turned into some grotesque abomination—or a corpse.”
“Of course, my Master.”
The icy tone snapped Lanpu back to reality. The giddiness faded. He remembered: this half-elf wasn’t just another lab subject. He carried a Red Dragon’s mission—a living tool, not a disposable experiment.
“Good.”
“My next Deep Sleep approaches. Prepare the Protective Spell Array quickly. While I’m asleep, keep the peace. No foolish actions. Maintain the kingdom’s stability.”
A visible ripple of magma pulsed beneath Kai Xiusu’s skin—the Bloodseed surging within, Fire Elemental Energy spilling over, a clear sign of its awakening.
“Yes, Master.”
Lanpu bowed deeply, then severed the Magical Image connection.
Kai Xiusu stretched, yawned again, and let his gaze drift to the fading image still lingering in the air.
Elves…
Most of this age’s elves come from the surviving Elven Kingdoms. Perhaps I can learn something about an old acquaintance of mine.
He thought back to his first days in this world—the perilous, desperate struggle for survival. It felt like lifetimes ago. And yet… it had happened just moments before.
But he had changed.
No longer a wandering Dragonling, scurrying through shadows.
Now, he was the force that made the entire Northern Regions tremble in fear.
(End of Chapter)
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