— "So, that's why you sent the Baron away?"
— "Well, of course. I wasn't going to discuss magical subtleties with him," the archmage replied with a distasteful giggle.
— "Then allow me to ask a question, Your Most Excellency."
— "Go ahead."
— "I understand why I might need this. But why do you need it? My men could significantly strengthen your squad."
— "Then let's be frank with each other. Agreed? And of course, this conversation will remain within the walls of this office."
The vampire pondered. On one hand, he was incredibly curious to know why they didn't want him in the campaign, which was even somewhat offensive. On the other hand, what would his interlocutor want to know in return?
"Although I can always deceive him!"
— "Agreed. But don't expect me to reveal secrets, especially foreign and magical ones."
The last addition was quite relevant; mages did not share information about their own research with each other.
— "Oh, nothing like that at all. I just want to know your future plans."
— "Then we have a deal."
— "I'll go first, since I suggested exchanging confidences. When I kill Elos, I plan to take his place. Zaloon is a very tempting piece for any mage, and the opportunity to rule it is especially valuable. Your full participation in the campaign is unacceptable to me, as the king might consider you a far better candidate for the position of Guardian of Zaloon. Young Kass has already advised him of this."
— "Are you sure that if I do not distinguish myself during the siege, Zaloon is yours?"
— "Yes."
— "And the king will release his only archmage to continue fighting against three Orodic archmages?"
— "Yes. None of the three are eager to fight for Heinrich. I've seen this firsthand over the summer. I don't even understand how the king managed to convince them to fight on his side. The truly dangerous one was Archmage Gudius, who simply loved to fight, but he has disappeared. In the search for him, the Orodics lost many soldiers near the pass."
— "They were searching for Gudius?"
— "Yes. You were looking for abandoned artifacts on this side of the pass. They were looking for their archmage on the other side. They knew perfectly well that he did not die at the Cursed Bridge, and they were waiting for him. Our scouts report that many Orodic soldiers perished because they had almost no magical support against the goblins."
The vampire just whistled. What strange things were happening in the world. It turned out that a peacefully sleeping archmage in captivity was more useful than the entire royal army. The simple uncertainty of his fate had caused more enemy casualties than swords and arrows. Sensing a change in his interlocutor, Dukon hastened to take the initiative.
— "Are you ready to answer my question, my dear?"
— "Of course. To begin with, I will decline the position of ruler of Zaloon, even if the king offers it to me. Such a role is not in my plans, nor in the plans of my people."
— "You're not interested in moon silver?" The archmage didn't even try to hide his strong surprise.
— "Of course, I'm very interested in moon silver, but I think if you become the governor of Zaloon, we can find a common ground, and I will get the amount I need."
The archmage merely raised his eyebrows in response to this statement but said nothing.
— "I very much want to obtain a baronial title. Or any title higher than that. The main thing is that it comes with lands in the Cursed Forest or its surroundings."
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