CHAPTER 4

Oh yes, how could I forget? Aldric was by no means a gloomy and unsociable villain. He was a villain who liked to make fun of people. Not kind, of course. I would call it a kind of mockery.

The usual behavior of the immortal, which mortals could only amuse.

So now it will begin.

I will offer some trifle—he will say that I insult him with stupid things.

I will offer something serious—he will laugh that I am too highly appreciated by the work under his command. And he will definitely add that he is not ready for such responsibility. Like, he is a good immortal; it is worthless to have fun at the expense of cute naive beauties.

I know, I already saw this, however, exclusively from the outside. Now, apparently, I will have to become a direct participant. On the other hand, a good sign: Aldric never jokes over those he does not like or from whose society he wants to get rid of.

So there are chances. Besides, I know what he wants. And I can help him achieve what I want. Because I went with trump cards:

"Why do you think I, a simple healer of a low rank, was present at a universal meeting?"

"Why?" asked Aldric. "Or do you want me to play guessing games?"

"Not at all," I immediately shook my head. To argue with the immortal dark dragon is absolute recklessness, somehow I can.

"I'm a witness. I personally saw how the statue faded. At the meeting, I only described what I saw with the naked eye. But there was something else… my feelings.

My gift is different from the power possessed by healers, so I can say with confidence that the artifact has become unusable in itself. Someone purposefully ruined it. And since there was no blackness on it, it was not a demon who did this, but someone…"

Aldric froze and grabbed my hand.

Everything spun before my eyes; I almost bit my tongue. When I blinked, I saw that we were standing in a room suspiciously reminiscent of a bedroom. Judging by the scattered things—black and with silver embroidery—Aldric's bedroom.

Only he allowed himself to wear everything black even at a universal meeting, where this color was considered an attractive failure.

"Why…?" I asked when Aldric released my hand.

I was for the first time in a man's bedroom. And alone with a man. Somehow… uncomfortable.

"Then. Do you think there are no extra ears in the corridor?" Aldric snorted contemptuously, not paying any attention to my embarrassment. "Your words are a serious accusation. Extremely bright mages can touch artifacts.

And to damage the artifact and not get a deadly curse is something only the highest bright mages can do. There are only a couple dozen of such. And they all hold serious positions. Do you want to be removed quietly?"

I sighed. Do I look like an idiot who would not be safe? But he tolerated me… Is it really not a concern to him that some unfamiliar girl, with whom he only went on a mission, will be killed? Or did he want to know more about the situation?

"The blessing of silence," I said. "Even the immortal dragon does not notice it; could someone break through and eavesdrop on me?"

Oh, I surprised Aldric.

"Do you even know how? And you are still left in the position of a lower doctor?" Aldric grinned. "Swindling fools who are not able to discard their prejudices and deviate from long-outdated criteria.

To measure all the nonsense of the light only by the ability to heal wounds is not even funny, but pitiful. Sooner or later, their system will collapse. So what did you want to offer me, witness?"

"Since the extinction of an artifact is the work of man—"

"And what is the use of it?"

"—the Stone of Deep Magic. The king promised it to the first who finds the reason and provides evidence. Don't you need it?"

Aldric squinted dangerously; his aura, which he restrained, suddenly burst into the wild. My bright power defended me, but if Aldric continues to "crush" me so much, then I can't stand for long. What to stand? I'm afraid I will faint—and not at all because of fear.

"How do you know that? I recommend that you answer without hiding, otherwise… I can't guarantee your integrity."

The Stone of Deep Magic is the favorite object of the powers of this world. It can be used as a drive, made into a weapon, turned into a strong protective amulet. But it has another property—to correct problems with magic in the immortal.

Is Aldric really…? I did not allow my thoughts to take shape. You know less—you live longer, bless more. All for the sake of universal good. I am bright, or who?

"I saw a list of applicants for it!" I answered immediately.

"Where did you see it?"

"In the same place as the distribution of healers by territories." I looked away—it is somehow embarrassing to report that I rummaged in other people's papers in a strange office in the absence of the owner.

"And how did no one notice you? Blessing, right? It is not considered even for magic. Therefore, no one—neither powerful mages, nor artifacts, nor dragons, nor immortals—pays attention to this," Aldric snorted, calming down in an instant.

"You should not have been sent to the medicine wing, but trained as a spy. You have a better knack for recognizing closed information than for treating."

But no. It is best to do three things: to bless, wrap other people's words to myself, and destroy the expectations of my enemies.

Aldric took control of his aura, which incredibly pleased me: I survived.

"So what? How do you like my proposal? Isn't it profitable?" I asked, hiding my hands behind my back in a clasp—I did not want to use another blessing on myself to hide the nasty trembling of fear.

Blessing others is easy, but yourself is always difficult. And the consequences of excessive use of this force occur very quickly. And without that, I applied luck, and intuition, and courage, and… yes, a lot of things!

Well, I am not by nature so sustained and fearless as to talk with a dragon without preparation, for whom mortals mean no more than ants do for us.

"A good offer," Aldric nodded rather. "Together with your exclusive talents in the extraction of information, it does not even look like a bluff of a desperate girl."

I grinned wryly in response.

"Although… although initially I wanted to offer you something else," Aldric remarked. "I counted on your confusion. But it has some kind of direction."

"And what?" I asked.

"You see, I do not keep useless people on the territory of Thornvale. With the weak, I can still come to terms somehow, but those who are idle are not needed there." Aldric stepped toward me.

"I will fill the artifacts with light magic…" I forced myself to stand still with difficulty.

"As necessary. But this is not so often. And what will you do the rest of the time?" Aldric took another step in my direction.

Close, very close. He actually loomed over me. If any other man were in the place of Aldric—not such a perfect handsome man, not a dragon, not immortal, not dark—I would have thought of something superfluous.