Residence of the Prime Minister

 

I slid into the large tub stretching out my limbs as far as I could, the water was so hot I could see bubbles forming from the boiling heat. My skin instantly tinged and I could feel a scream emerging from my mouth that gradually turned into a deep sigh of satisfaction. My eyes immediately began to feel heavier as weeks of stress seemed to evaporate into the steaming haze. 

 

Today was a day of celebration. 

 

I even left work early after hearing news of the explosion. Apparently it was so extreme that the fireball completely overwhelmed the hero, turning him into a skeleton on the spot. 

 

Even many of his slaves were killed on the spot, the few that survived will be hunted down as the murderers of the hero. After all, it’s not like he would ever be stupid enough to conduct an experiment known to fail. As far as anyone will know he was safely exploring something else entirely that was sabotaged by the slaves. 

 

Well in truth they will never be found anyways and the public will believe whatever they are told to believe. 

 

“Yes… This is how the world is supposed to be…” I let out another relaxed sigh as I took a slow drink of the wine that had been delivered to me without a word spoken.

 

“Status” I spoke the keyword aloud and looked over my current situation.

Level: 66 Name: Lord Henry Ellenwar Job: Force Behind The Throne

Class: Shadow King (DRACONIC) Age:68 Health: 2500/2500 Mana: 1000/1000

Stats: AWAKENED (DRACONIC) Infamy: LOCKED Fame: LOCKED

Titles: One Who Has Bargained With God, Ruthless, Enemy of the Proletariat, Ascendant, Usurper, ********, Bandit Slayer, Murderer, One Who Would Be King, Spy-Master, Dark Confidant, Draconic Core….

Active Abilities: 

Sleepless: 4 Hours remaining until loss of consciousness : 3 day cooldown

Sealed Abilities

Summon Spys: 30/50 Active networks

Form Contract: 0 Contracts remaining until next collection.

…..

 

“Yea… It was right to stop holding back.” I whispered I focused on my changed job and class.

 

“Master…” I held my scowl from showing too much on my face as I looked over at the Prime Minister kneeling down his head staring straight down at the ground.

 

“Emmanuel, I don’t recall calling for you…” I failed to hide my anger in my voice, though I didn’t try that hard, making Emmanuel begin shaking violently on the spot.

 

“I’m so sorry for disrupting your peace my Master, I’ll whip myself as soon as I’ve reported to you it’s just… The false king has called for you.”

 

I stared mournfully at my comfortable bath before letting out an angry groan and standing up. As soon as I stepped forward a pair of maids appeared, laying one towel at my feet and beginning to pat and dry my body as I spoke to Emmanuel. “Tell me exactly what he asked of you.”

 

He nodded and began to relay the king’s words verbatim. “I know that man has been collecting power, and now he thinks he can assassinate a Hero and get away with it. He’s overreached! I’ll have his head! Go and escort him here, I’ll have the other heroes waiting and the military with them!”

 

I shook my head. “This will be such a waste of money but I supposed we must do what we must do.” He nodded never once looking up from his spot. “The king can wait. Do what you are to do. Hmm… You could have postponed this a bit more so I’ll have to increase your punishment…” I closed my eyes as I played up thinking about what he is to do. I didn’t have to move at all as the maids dressed up me in the finest clothes the prime minister owned. I would have laughed at their understanding of me if it wasn’t to be expected. My eyes grazed over the boiling water of the bathtub I had to leave be making a smile appear on my lips.

 

“Yes… I think that’s best. Strip.”

 

He nodded, standing but never once moving his gaze from the ground. 

 

With quick motions he stripped down leaving nothing hidden, there was nothing hesitant about the actions. We had an understanding between us and this much was to go without comment.

 

“Because of your incompetence my bath must be wasted. To cause such a thing is unacceptable. You are to stand in the bath without moving. Servant 35 will whip you. You cannot move for forty lashes.”

 

I saw that beautiful flicker of fear in his eyes for just a moment before he stepped in, his skin instantly started bubbling up from the heat as it burned and the nerve endings below began to be damaged. Despite that he stayed standing. 

 

Truly my perfect pawn.

 

I turned away to the sound of Servant 35 cracking a whip against his skin but no scream was let loose, such an action would only illicit more punishment. 

 

Tightening my tie myself as was my habit I stepped into the hallway where my Spy was waiting. 

 

The spy handed me a quickly jotted note which I ran my fingers over to read. “Will the Prime Minister be joining us at the castle?” 

 

I made a gesture of wiping away a tear from my eye though none was there of course. “Surely you jest, it’s a tragedy that the Prime Minister was slain by the king's assassins. It is only by luck and the bonds I have made as Treasurer that I was able to survive.”

 

The Spy nodded and dissolved into the shadows we crossed over as another right after he left. “Your carriage is waiting outside along with the Knight’s Tail adventuring party. Whenever you're ready they will bring you to the royal palace.” After that he vanished just like the past, though I could feel his presence in the air around me, living within my own shadow.

 

I walked towards the door grinning as I imagined enjoying my new life as king. Well a king from the shadows anyways. I’d never have someone chastise me and second guess my actions just because they didn’t understand it again. 

 

It’s not even a coup, it’s a revolution. The king is hated for his wasteful and nonsense policies and his defference to the idiotic people summoned by his mages. I’ve spent the last fifteen years working day and night to pave over the damage he’s caused by making close allies and developing pawns to use all the time but I always minded my rank. 

 

The power of a king is nothing to scoff at and underestimate. 

 

Many an overconfident man has brought a knife to his own throat by doing so and I will not be one of those.

 

I stepped into the carriage surrounded by a group of twelve ‘adventurer’s all wearing black steel bands enchanted with a glamor that hid their appearance around their upper arms signifying their party. This was the ‘Knight’s Tail’ a team of merc- adventurer’s who specialized in escort and fighting battles with severe numerical disadvantage. 

 

They also owed me a blood debt.

 

Their captain had a fling with the king's daughter and as punishment he ordered them both to take their life, and as a result the life of their unborn child. I managed to convince the king that disownment and banishment was an equally severe punishment for the princess, promising to ensure she was never able to come back to the kingdom. 

 

In truth she never left. She, like all of her party, wore an enchanted metal band that hid her appearance. While the others do this to hide their status, making them all look like Black Knights, she did so as a means to ensure nobody but her team would know her identity. 

 

Well she’ll be a queen after today, not that she knew that. 

 

Stepping into the carriage I let out a sigh as I saw Catcullus sitting there with his legs crossed wearing a black overcoat absolutely covered in jewels and a seemingly random assortment of other colors and styles. It was an absurdly gaudy mess but also more or less what I’ve come to expect from him. 

 

“Prime Minister Catcullus it’s a joy to see you in good health.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at me and let out a chortling laugh that sounded something like the noise seals make when speaking to each other. “So I’ve been promoted! Last time we spoke I was just a dirty slave seller and somehow now I’m prime minister. The ways of the gods and man alike are truly mysterious. Please do tell me what tragedy befell my honored predecessor.”

 

I let out a dramatic sigh as I locked the carriage door behind myself and sat across from Catcullus, “It’s truly tragic, he and I were enjoying some time alone when assassins burst in and slew him on the spot. I managed to escape by luck and find my way to the inn the ‘Knight’s Tail’ party was staying at.”

 

He shook his head wryly before speaking bluntly. “You know you could just become King or even Prime Minister. You don’t need any of us to wield power, this kingdom is already in the palm of your hand even if it doesn’t know it.”

 

I shook my head in response. “No, that would imply I have delusions of grandeur. The royal line must stay intact for the people's faith to remain, and as the man the king was after seeking to claim power for myself would all but confirm rumors of an attempted coup.” 

 

“But it is a coup.” He insisted,  which forced me to simply look away.

 

“I have no idea what you're talking about. I’m just answering the kings summons and hoping to resolve whatever misunderstanding could have resulted in my friends murder. 

 

He gave me an exasperated glare before finally letting out a soft chuckle and shrugging. “Well it’s no matter, I don’t mind being a pointless figurehead. Whatever your actual goal is just promise me it’s amusing.”

 

I let out a laugh of my own as I thought of the future. “Well it certainly is something.”

 

He gave me a slightly fearful look before looking off into the distance. “I think if everything goes to shit here… I’ll go north-west to Partun. They say there is an Island there that contains the records of all mankind on an island that moves all on it’s own, drifting on the ocean currents like a boat but as big a land mass as any other island. The Akashic Records. That’d be a thing to see wouldn’t it.”

 

I looked at him in confusion for a moment before smiling softly as I see his eyes are genuine, he’s asking me if I would run away from him. “Your asking that when at our last meeting you pointed out me trying to have you murdered?”

 

He looked down at his own hands as if they belonged to someone else entirely. “Attraction truly is a monstrous thing. You might be the only being in existence that challenges my mind, is it so strange that I would at least try to preserve that?”

 

I started to respond before stopping myself, listening to the guards I could hear their footsteps slowing down and hurried whispers spreading among them. “Stay here and ensure the mission's success… if all goes well, ask me again.” 

 

He grumbled about me not giving him an answer but did obediently step out of the carriage with me as it came to a halt. 

 

As we stepped out I looked around to see the country's twenty nine assembled heroes standing out in a wing pattern from the king, before them though was a wall of knights. I recognized many of them as the country's military leaders. 

 

Without a pause I dropped to my knees and gave greetings to the king. “I have answered the call of your Royal Persons.”

 

The king was clearly fuming and angry but my nonchalant attitude seemed to have thrown off the atmosphere among the soldiers, after all I’d served faithfully along with them for years and they never had any reason to suspect me of being a traitor. Even the Heroes who I suspect would find it easiest to doubt me just seemed to be annoyed at having been brought here, but they had no real faith or loyalty to the kingdom, just a compulsion of obedience instilled in them during the summoning ritual. 

 

“Soldiers! Execute the traitor!”

 

I felt my smile shatter as things moved much quicker than I expected, and I wondered if all my scheming will even have a chance to play out.