Return of the Fallen Volume 4 Chapter 64
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch64
“Degra.”
The name reverberated around the room and everyone took it in. The City Lord’s expression changed and he became interested.
“Hmm, Degra, what about him? What does he have to do with the situation at hand?”
“No, you misunderstand. If I remove the problem of Kazuki and the one who attacked the city. I want Degra dealt with. After he’s gone, all that is his will be mine. That is the deal.”
Castion couldn’t sit still. Even with the Triska’s trident still floating at his neck he had to say something because dealing with Degra would most definitely fall upon his shoulders.
“Thakriss, we can’t…I can’t. We all know why you’re proposing this deal. Even though you’re the strongest in the city, even being a full stage higher then Degra, you can’t defeat him. This deal of yours only pits the City Lord against Degra, which makes it my responsibility. I’ll say it right now, I will not fight Degra. To fight him is suicide.”
The officials began to murmur and converse amongst themselves. The City Lord as well didn’t like the odds.
“Triska, this deal, it only favors you and puts me and mine at risk. At that point, it might just be better to confess to King Garn. You already know I won’t do that though.”
*Haaa*
“Still, I can’t simply walk into Degra’s territory with my neck exposed. Now stop playing and tell me what it is you really want.”
Triska crossed her arms over her chest and once again said…
“I want Degra.”
Thakriss was starting to become impatient but he didn’t want another fight in his office. He was about to say something when Triska spoke first.
“I know why you won’t go against Degra. It’s the same reason I haven’t taken him out. That special ability of his, those eyes. Getting close to him and your body freezes on the spot like time has stopped. Because of that skill, none of us have been able to kill him. Thanks to my tough body though, he can freeze me for a bit but none of his attacks are effective against me, which leads us to a stalemate. You, on the other hand, Degra knows if he kills you then King Garn will send someone to investigate and deal with him.”
Triska pointed at Castion and her tone became serious.
“Heres the thing though, Castion can keep Degra at bay by attacking with his long-range ice magic and can block Degra’s attacks but how long do you think that can last.”
Thakriss snorted.
“Why is that any of your concern?”
Triska shrugged her shoulders.
“Maybe it’s not but I guess this means you haven’t heard the news then.”
“News, what news?”
“Have you really not heard the rumors?”
Triska looked around the room and saw that everyone was clueless.
“Dammit, Triska, do you want to talk in circles all day? I thought you came here to make a deal.”
Triska’s stone-like expression returned like a mask and she became cold.
“Degra is about to step into the 4th Stage.”
All of the officials erupted in a loud clamor. They had heard the rumors but rumors were just rumors and so they gave it very little thought but the way Triska said it, it sounded like fact instead of loose-lipped gossip.
Castion swallowed hard and shouted.
“That can’t be true. Thakriss, she must be lying. She’s just trying to push us into an unnecessary fight. There’s no way that brat is about to become a 4th stage, he’s far too young.”
Triska didn’t even move but with a mere thought, her trident sliced at Castion’s face and made two thin cuts on both of his cheeks. Two lines of blood ran down the sides of his face and he shut up immediately. Triska looked at him like he was an idiot.
“Since when does age matter. I was a year younger then Degra when I entered the 4th stage, while you took almost 2 decades longer than me to enter. Yet I stand as the strongest among us all. Age never matters. Power is power. I know that and you all should know that as well.”
The look on Thakriss’s face changed and twisted into an awful expression. He ignored Castion’s bleeding face and inquired.
“Triska, is what you speak the truth? Is that rat really about to step into the 4th stage, what evidence…”
Triska interrupted him before he finished his sentence.
“Evidence, you really aren’t informed. What do you think that Kazuki fellow is doing in Gentis city? For what reason would someone of his power come all the way to this city to do. We are near the edge of the continent, past Gentis and you hit the border city and after that its the wilds. You don’t become that powerful in life and then come to the edge of the world without some purpose. I’ll tell you alright now. Kazuki has come to Gentis for one reason and one reason only. Degra has hired him to help him enter the 4th stage.”
The entire room erupted like a volcano.
“How can this be!?”
“We must stop it!”
“Kill them now!”
Thakriss had turned a bit pale. Triska could see they were almost there.
(One more push ought to do it.)
“Thakriss, you should already know what will happen once Degra enters the 4th stage. With that special power of his, I will no longer be a match and I will be forced to leave this place for good. At least I can escape in that scenario though but you, what will happen to you I wonder. Castion of course will be the first to go. Degra will probably come to kill you himself. Then after he takes out all of the officials he’s had past grudges with and clears this place out of any who oppose him, that just leaves you Thakriss. Don’t worry though he won’t kill you, otherwise, that would bring down King Garn’s wraith. No, with you, he will imprison you most likely torture you for fun and use you like his personal puppet. It will look like your in control but really every word out of your mouth, every action you take will be his. You will lose all of your wealth and power as he holds the city in the palm of his hands like a god.”
Every word she spoke was said with absolute confidence and authority, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was telling the truth.
The officials were pale with fright as they came to their own conclusions.
“Dammit, we’ll all be on the chopping block.”
“Don’t lump me in the same group with you lot, I’ve been neutral this entire time.”
“You bastard traitor!”
“Stop fighting we need to come up with a plan right now.”
“For an expert to come all the way to our city, Triska’s right, you must have some purpose, some motive, otherwise it doesn’t make sense.”
“So this Kazuki was hired by Degra, huh? Just what kind of price would one pay to enter the 4th stage?”
“No rather what wouldn’t you pay? How many sons and daughters would you sacrifice?”
“Degra doesn’t need any of that. His casino out earns the entire city by more than a thousandfold. *Tch* And none of that is taxable.”
“If it’s Degra he can certainly afford it. Every rich man and woman has turned up to play at his establishment, even amongst us…”
“Alright, we got it. No need for names.”
Castion as well took all this in with a grave expression.
(To think that bastard has thought this far ahead but then where did this attacker come from. They have some conflict with Kazuki but won’t enter the city. Does that mean they have bad blood between them and Treia itself? If that’s the case maybe we should just report it to the King.)
Castion felt stupid as soon as that thought crossed his mind.
(Even if we report it, whoever comes will not like me being in this city. Thakriss can only do so much with his authority. Reporting to the King could put my head on the chopping block simply because I’m in the vicinity. Goddam this bullshit!)
“You bring this news not because you want to make a deal but because you wish to gloat, is that it Triska?”
Thakriss stared hatefully at Triska. This so-called deal was bad every which way he thought about it. For them to go after Degra was certain suicide but if they wait they’ll die due to his growth but if they report it Thakriss would lose his city.
(I’ve worked so long and hard, all of my underhanded methods and the sacrifices I forced others to make to get myself in this current position, to lose it is like death. No, that’s stup[id, death is death but still to go back to zero after all of these years, I can’t let this happen, I won’t. How do I get out of this, there must be a way.)
Triska’s face remained emotionless as she refuted Thakriss’s claim.
“I don’t care about gloating or other useless things. I truly did come with a deal but if your intentions are this way, then I guess you can handle Degra on your own.”
Triska turned and headed for the door. At the same time, Thakriss picked up on something from her words.
“Wait, what do you mean handle Degra on our own, does that statement mean you were intending on helping us deal with Degra? Triska, is this your intent?”
Triska stopped and turned back.
“Do you wish to hear the details?”
(Her words, so she really intends to help remove Degra.)
“Yes.”
“I may have a method to deal with Degra but it requires both me and Castion working together. If it works, we will be able to finish him off. In the case that we do, I want some things.”
Thakriss finally felt a way out and beamed.
“Just name it.”
Triska didn’t hesitate.
“Degra’s territory and businesses, I want all of them.”
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