Time passed and I loaded another plate with what seemed to be an endless buffet. Whenever I went back for more, food kept piling on the table as if the ravenous horde of adventurers hadn't scavenged it dry. If it wasn't for the different dishes and the very real flavor on my tongue, I'd have assumed it was all an illusion.

By now, more than an hour had passed. The Lightcrests practically exploded when I showed them Myol's gift and promised to buy me anything I desired from the auction in exchange if I gave it to them. Since I didn't really care to hold onto blackmail and Isaac approved the exchange, I accepted.''

The sheer, malevolent glee the eccentric pair showed at my response was almost a reward itself. I had no doubt, there would be blood in the streets when they were done with whatever plan the concocted.

I relaxed and took in the atmosphere. That festive and friendly chatter filled the room, and away from the chaos outside, it felt nice to unwind.

Except…

Food secured after having a miniature competition with Eodyne over the pastries, I retreated to my chair and turned away, hoping the eyesore would leave me alone. It wasn't to be so, as the moment I sat, the king leaned closer and inspected my plate.

"A fan of elgogog berries? Interesting choice."

I shoved a piece through my mask and glared. I didn't bother hiding my expression, letting the ink shift and form to my emotions. Allaron simply snapped his fingers and summoned an identical plate of pastries into his hand.

It wasn't the first time the king copied my actions. It felt like every drink and small food item was carefully noted and mimicked to spite me. Nobody noticed, too busy talking amongst themselves or simply ignoring the elephant in the room. Even Teddy pleaded ignorance when I attempted to grab his attention, abandoning me to the jerk.

Only Tyrrion continued his vigilance, watching me like a hawk even when talking to Broken Tower or Teddy's parents. His eyes narrowed as he saw me turn, his hand straying close to his waist where a small bag hung.

I set the plate down and confronted the king, waiting as he finished chewing his food before speaking.

"What gives? First you ambush me, intimidate me, interrogate me. Now, not only are you refusing to leave to whatever special gilded box the auction house no doubt has reserved just for you—you're copying my every action. Am I missing something?" I said.

The king wiped his mouth with a gold-stitched cloth and smiled. "You were more polite when we first met. You are talking to a king after all."

"You're not m-"

"Not your king, I remember. The guards still whisper about that day. A disrespectful, mysterious individual and the time one of the royal tubs was stolen and crashed through the castle windows. It was an amusing day."

"What does any of that have to do with you? Us? You're being weird, and I've had my fill in the last month alone."

Allaron swirled his cup and took a sip, his glowing eyes staring beyond the walls and down into the massive stage below.

"There are multiple factors involved. One part being my skill. It enables me to get insight into individuals the more I observe them—small things beyond facial tics and habitual nail-picking," he admitted. His finger tapped down and he flung two small gemstones from his sleeve. They began to grow in size, his gaze tracking the progress and adjusting the mana flow. "Beyond that, I am genuinely curious. It's refreshing to meet someone who shares none of the traits of the usual sycophants haunting the castle."

That… It made a lot of sense. Too much, in fact.

"Then why the switch-up? Why drop the act even if you're interested in figuring me out?"

The crystals extended upward, reaching child-size before more of the central mass elongated, creating four pseudo-limbs around the thickened cluster-core. My eyes widened and I reached with my senses to get a taste of the mana. What returned wasn't entirely a surprise, but it was different.

Grow, adapt! Connect the cluster, create perfection! Bring life, bring light; make the glowing whole!

I blinked out of the imagery and tasted cold on my tongue despite the warm jam from the pastries.

Allaron raised a hand and out flickered two droplets, one dark red like crusted blood and the other a small crystal fragment that flowed with ruby liquid. The two drops landed on the separate clusters, and the crystals turned crimson. The chatter died as flesh sprouted from the centers and began recreating muscle fibers and tendons.

Allaron waved his hand and caught my attention. He smiled and snapped again, deploying a small field of blue light around us. "If you weren't going to kiss my feet while aiming a knife at my throat, I can at least return the kindness by dropping the act. There's no need for games, not when I suspect they'll do more harm than good due to your particular personality."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I glanced over to the crystals that now looked like meat puppets without skin. "I can apologize for the disrespect, but I meant it when I said I've had enough. Accident or not, what you allowed from the nobles told me more about this kingdom's politics than any of Teddy's lessons."

"And for that, I am sorry. If I knew what kind of beast I'd be poking, I'd have retracted my spearmen."

I glanced away from the abominations and scowled. "What? What does that mean, and what are those things?"

"They are true-body clones. Flesh clones powered through my Crystal Copy," he explained dismissively. His tone shifted, and in the corner, Tyrrion took a step closer. "It's highly unexpected, but I never thought I'd risk bringing the wrath of a Reborn upon my kingdom."

I froze. The king locked in, never looking away.

Tyrrion moved closer but Nathan casually intercepted him and swung him around toward his wife who launched a barrage of questions. The others didn't seem to hear what the king said.

Actually… Teddy and Celenae looked relaxed but were hovering closer than needed. The two shared a conversation with the others while avoiding looking in our direction. Now that I felt it, Eodyne and Isaac were also in position to pincer. How that would work on the king who could supposedly teleport; I had no idea.

I searched for Khrem but he was busy talking with Sereza.

I frowned and poked at the light around us.

Oh. One way sound barrier. Of course.

"Why does every single tier three I meet have some kind of barrier skill? I can't get a read on it enough to understand how and why it's one-directional," I groaned.

"You've met the smarter people. Those who reach tier three tend to have a means to survive, along with extensive experience using lesser forms of their skills to achieve desired effects. It comes with the territory—something I expect you to achieve in due time," Allaron explained.

"So nobody else heard what you said just now?"

"Obviously. I can guess, but I set it up as a precaution. No doubt Broken Tower knows of your status, maybe even Nathan and Anastasia. But just in case, I erred on the side of caution."

"Because you don't want to evoke my wrath or some shit like that."

"I'd imagine with your race, that's more of a threat than you intend," Allaron laughed. "But yes. I had my suspicions, and your reaction all but confirmed it for me, so thanks."

I balled my fists. "What gave it away?"

"Merchant reports regarding a dead zone due to an etherstorm. Sudden dungeon changes, surprise catastrophe from impossible odds. Not to mention reports of a goddess' return, a rift evolving. Throw in the dungeon incident with the Labyrinth and…"

"And?"

Meaty plops to the side came with two figures stepping into frame. A perfect copy of both the king and Tyrrion moved into view, even wearing the same attire down to the jewelry adorning the king's hand.

"Instructions, Master?" they spoke as one.

"Take our place and stay within the designating viewing box. Await further instructions through telepathic relay," Allaron instructed.

The copies saluted, drawing the eyes of the others as they headed for the exit. The metal door parted before them and the Tyrrion copy summoned a platform of shifting earth for them to step onto. The stone disk flattened and carrieid them away, while the door shut and sealed behind them.

"In case you're curious. There is no need for the copies to have verbal commands given. They follow my will and shall continue to do so before they expire," he said.

"So you did that for my benefit? How long do they last."

"Depending on how much mana I spend reinforcing the core, anywhere from two weeks to seven months."

"Why?"

"The limitation is worth it for the ability to copy abilities and mana signatures."

"Not what I meant and you know it," I growled, losing the sharp control on my annoyance. "I don't trust you, and I won't trust you ever. Why tell me all this, and not the dragonshit excuse about being curious."

Allaron sighed.

He waved a hand and Tyrrion stopped his attempt to position himself nearby. As he relaxed, Anastasia was able to swing him away. A tension in my shoulders eased at the disappearance albeit temporarily of the spiky man. Which was probably Allaron's intention all along.

"How about this. A question for a question. I'll answer anything you ask, as long as they aren't secrets that compromise the kingdom. If I do refuse to answer, I'll even reward you. Limited access to a curated list from the vault."

"Never," I snapped in reply. Allaron raised a brow but I shook my head. "What are you expecting in return if I couldn't answer a question? And what stops you from giving me complete trash. The only reason I'm comfortable with the rewards is because of Teddy's parents. They wouldn't let you get away with giving me dung disguised in gold."

"Fair," Allaron admitted.

"So-"

"As I said before, risking your ire is unwanted currently. Know that whatever list of items offered to you will be to a respectable degree of usefulness. All the wealth in the kingdom is useless if it cannot be used. So in truth, I don't lose much by giving you what could be of use. Especially if it ends up gaining your favor. Regarding your concern about not answering one of my questions: nothing."

"Nothing? Really?"

He nodded. "Nothing. I might try to word it differently and see if you'll answer that, but I expect nothing in return."

"Why wo—"

"Reborns are myths, legends, romanticized fiction, and idle dreams of children. They are also tales of warning and woe. For a child, it's a cute fantasy to fill the time. For a king and a kingdom? It's a flag of red with a storm of blood ready to be unleashed. My great-great-grandfather met one of your kind—his records prove your fable." He started tapping the armrest of his chair, his eyes shining a brilliant cyan. "As well as many others, including those from my dearest friend. That is why I'm willing to risk this. To reveal secrets and give away treasures. Does that satisfy your paranoia?"

"It's not paranoia if the shadow around the corner can come alive and skewer you with a very real blade," I retorted.

"Also fair. So? Do we have a deal?"

I clicked my canines together, sucking in a deep breath.

This is either stupid or a great idea. No inbetween, Cyrus. You know this. So do we play the game?

My fang nicked the inside of my cheek, bringing about a pinprick of pain. I tasted copper and a memory slithered in, one filled with a snake-eyed moon and a ravenous horde.

I shook my head and sat up straight, rolling my shoulders in the process.

"Deal."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.