Marquis Gorgan wasn't a man known for his patience, neither was he known for his mismatched sense of clothing. Instead, he was known for his golden hands that sowed profit, but to some, that too was a peculiar flaw, especially since for the sake of gold, he would sell his very soul without a second thought.
"You expect me to believe an imp posing to be Leonard's son has taken over a duchy?" Crossing his brown leather boots, he struck the back of his cigar to dust off the ashes. "What are you gonna say next, monkeys have learned to fly in Laria too?"
Seated in a cushioned chair decorated with shimmering jewels, Marquis rested his head over his left hand and glared at the two former councilmen bowing their heads in front of him. Glancing past them, he tilted his head a little to take a look at the door to his lavish office. Standing guard outside were the three adventurers' group, Silver Storm, Nue's eye, and Unlucky clover. Thus with the support of two of the best parties in Laria, Marquis felt conflicted about dismissing the absurd claim.
"Look…" Turning back to the councilmen, the king tried to address them, but their names had escaped his mind again.
"Rom Marquis, and Arnold Pix, sire," having noticed the king's confusion Rom introduced him and his companies for the second time through the meeting.
"Another Marquis, eh?" Letting out a laugh the king expected them to do the same, but when neither of them joined him, a scornful look took over his face. "Forget it, my spy merchants haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary there, so it's better if you drop this act because I'm not going to fall into whatever trap you're trying to lay."
"Trap?" Slowly looking up at the king, Arnold couldn't believe that he was being accused of treason against the crown. "No sire, we're not trying to lay a trap, believe me, a demon is ruling that duchy, and no wonder he's doing a damn good job hiding it!"
"Enough!" The king yelled, smacking his fist on the side rest. "Arnold Pix, and Rom Marquis, if I hear one more lie spewing out of your mouths I'll trim your tongues with a scissor."
Placing his bony fingers on top of Arnold's head, Rom forcefully made him bow to the king again.
"Very well, sire, however," glancing upward at the king, Rom continued. "The emperor sent sir Razor a while back for some investigation, and he's been missing since, and if a man of such talents can vanish on Larian soil, which is to say your territory, then how much trust can the emperor truly put into you?"
It took the king a moment to even register what Rom had just said to him, and what exactly his words insinuated. But finally, when he realized that he was subtly calling him incompetent, the king flipped over the side table and even threw the burning cigar onto Rom's face.
"How fucking dare you! You scum!" Getting out of his chair, he grabbed Rom by his collar.
However, as Rom stood up straight and towered over the king like a giant, the vigor with which he'd grabbed him disappeared in an instant. Still grunting in frustration, he took a step away from the odd figure.
"I cannot lie, and I do not lie sire," resting his hand over his stagnant heart, Rom breathed out a cold breath and broke the king's illusion of comfort. "And that is the very reason I can't stand a man like you."
His eyes glowing a crimson glow were ready for a hunter, that is until he noticed the look of realization brighten up the king's deep brown eyes. Shaking his head, he settled back in the chair. Brushing off his blonde hair that had been ruined by the sudden outburst of rage, he raised his head to face the two again.
Fidgeting while still bowing to the king, Arnold was visibly discomforted by the whole incident. Rom on the other hand still had the stern look of disappointment that he had no qualms voicing.
"I've heard about the vampiric hunter, never thought you were living up so close," shifting his eyes between the two, he picked up a servant's bell from the ground and rang it quickly.
"Vampire…" Confused by the king's words, Arnold raised his head once more and turned to Rom for answers.
Though before he could say anything, the door behind them was opened by the king's butler who'd walked in in response to the bell. Holding in his hands, a pack of well-bound cigars, he plucked one out and began preparing it for a light. By the time he had cut off the lighting end and lit it up, the environment around the room had softened up a little.
"Now leave," the king ordered, taking the cigar from the butler's hand, and he followed without question.
Once the butler was gone, the king crossed his legs with his eyes fixed on Rom.
"Just because the late Duke Laria trusted you, doesn't mean I have to," saying those words, the king blew out a ring of smoke at him. "After all, you're a blood-sucking monst-"
"The maddened dragon has been set free by that very imp you're refusing to acknowledge," at first, the king was shocked frozen in his seat, but then loosening up a little he leaned forward with a mocking smile.
"You expect me to believe that? If that were the case he and his sister would've burned up this kingdom by now," with a wide grin, he thought he'd outsmarted Rom's plan.
"The tundra…" The very mention of the place flashed the storming blizzard inside everyone's mind. "It's gone, why do you think that is? Change of season perhaps? And if not then, why hasn't the maddened dragon attacked this place?"
The answer was simple, however, instead of acknowledging such a preposterous proposition, the king gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"This land will have a new king soon if you sit here doing nothing, and with the dragons laying low, possibly on his command, I don't imagine there's anything you could offer your soldier that he can't outmatch to gain their favor," Rom's warning felt more like a threat to the king, and yet given all the verbal evidence, he knew better than to risk his throne because of his ego.
"Ughhh! Who the hell is this demon anyways?" As soon as the king presented that question, the door to the room flung open, and on the other side was the greatest adventurer around these parts, Kane, the undying adventurer.
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