Chapter 37

Locke found the Marquis interest in himself and the Viscount bizarre. He conjectured that it was perhaps their awareness of the events in Ghone Forest.

"The next week is going to be a messy one. Atleast the night was devoid of bloodbath." The Marquis said.

"With an Archmage and a Great Knight mediating, it would be difficult for a bloodbath to take place." Locke commented.

The Marquis had a wry smile on his lips. "Not necessarily. They are all Dukes after all, none of their influence and power can be underestimated."

"How will the next King be decided upon?" Locke asked the Marquis.

"The decision will have to be made by a convention of the five Dukes. The three Dukes showed their stance, but Duke Claithe and Duke Lum chose to maintain an enigmatic preference." Marquis Tasmodius replied.

The party had been disbanded and the Nobles were being led to their resting quarters in an orderly fashion. As Locke and the Marquis were discussing, a maid slowly creeped up to the two of them and requested their presence in front of the Duke. Marquis Tasmodius was understandable, but Baron Mith?

The maid had made sure not to raise a public fuss. The two quietly displaced themselves from the ballroom and followed a twisting array of corridors and stairs, before they arrived at a luxuriantly furnished room.

Behind the door, the Duke, his wife and his daughter were sitting in wait. The Duke was calm, but the other two were not.

"Welcome." The Duke nodded as the Marquis and the Baron made their presence felt.

Duke Lum made an unfamiliar wand movement as he turned turned towards Locke, without any warning. A bubble emerged from the Duke's wand which quickly covered both Locke and Duke Lum himself in a formless barrier that alienated all others from sight and sound.

Locke felt a little fright from being unable to judge the Duke's purpose, but held on firmly to the poker face he had practiced on for years. In the Duke's eyes, Locke remained unfazed, which made him inwardly nod.

"Baron Mith, no one can see or hear us talk now. So let us speak freely, not as Duke and Baron, but as Archmage and nonmage." The Duke said.

Locke nodded.

"Well, the little Dryad hiding on your breast pocket can still us, but I don't think that will make a difference." The Duke nonchalantly pointed at the beautiful hibiscus flower Locke was wearing. This did cause Locke's eyes to shine a bit. He was inwardly shocked at the Duke's means.

Seeing that Locke neither confirmed nor denied his own guesses, the Duke took it as an affirmative.

"First, have you ever met a dragon?" Duke Lum asked, to which Locke immediately shook his head with a bitter smile.

The Duke sighed dejectedly, but didn't dwell on it. "You're surrounded in dragon's magic. If you had the eye of a dragon on you, I'd have liked to ask the senior about my magic teacher."

"Your teacher?" Locke asked.

"Hm. Scarlatti, the Dragon obsessed with Flames." The Duke said with a sigh. "However, he only taught me on a flimsy condition for a month."

Locke sighed. "Unfortunately, from what I gather, I have been cursed using an obscure dragon magic."

"Oh." The Archmage waved his wand and the color of his pupils rapidly changed as he observed Locke again. "Indeed. You seem to be right. It does seem like a curse, but it is most peculiar. Very well hidden, I wouldn't have realized if you hadn't mentioned it to." The Duke said.

Locke was somewhat puzzled. Those three fellows in the tree had managed to see it quite clearly with just a glance, as had Beluriel. Was Beluriel hiding his capabilities or was he more proficient in these matters?

"The reason I isolated us, is not just this." The Archmage returned to his main point. "You observed the mess today, I assume?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then tell me how you think it will play out." The Duke asked.

"Either there is a harmonious transition of power, or there isn't one. Coupled with the situation in the Mid-West, I'd suspect attempts at the second possibility." Locke analyzed.

"Yes. Which means, the princes will definitely try to coerce me into siding with them to bolster their claim. This is what I want you to do." The Duke quickly began laying out an elaborate plan.

"This... Why me?" Locke heard the scheme and was shocked and confused.

"I'd bet on a person a Dragon found interesting enough to mess around with. Such people usually don't die early." The Duke's logic was simple and swift.

Locke sighed and agreed. The plan wasn't bad. There was only one wild factor in it. But since the plan was the Duke's, Locke could only mitigate the matters from his end.

Soon, the bubble sealing away the Duke and the Baron disappeared. Then the due enveloped himself in a bubble with the Marquis. The two had a discussion for a few minutes, while the Baron tried to greet the Duchess and the Young Lady Selestia, but they were too worried to realize.

After fifteen minutes, the bubbles had disappeared. The Duke clapped his hands. "Alright, I've arranged your rooms for the night."

Locke acknowledged the dismissal, and mentally contacted Ghost, who managed to quickly find him.

"You should turn into a bracelet." Locke told Ghost mentally, while raising his right hand. Ghost did not hesitate and did as she was told.

That night, Locke did not sleep in the room he was assigned. He was quietly pacing around the room, tensed. He had hoped that his relatively insignificant title would help him stay invisible, but now he had no choice but be muddled in the affairs of the very Kingdom. At this moment, only the fact that he had Ghost and his Legacy ability, gave him some solace.

Ghost was now transformed into the bracelet on his wrist. Locke was sitting and reading a book from the extensive library inside the magical sack. Around eleven late at evening, a patterned knock could be heard from the room's door.

Locke cautiously opened it to find a maid standing in front of him, anxious and fidgety. Locke gave way for the maid to enter, before he locked the door and even used his ability to seal it.