"Then come in—the steps are a little steep, watch your footing."
Veigar waved Duke and Lux inside, then climbed the stone stairs himself, each step echoing softly as he disappeared into the tower's inner hall.
『Lux』: "Brother Duke… is it really safe to do business with someone whose brain's clearly… not working right?"
『Duke』: "Relax."
Duke patted Lux's head reassuringly. "It'll be fine."
Lux followed close behind, her boots clicking softly on the old stone. As she reached the doorway, she glanced back toward the courtyard. The craters left by Veigar's earlier arcane bombardment were still steaming faintly.
That was him acting casually. If he ever struck seriously, what kind of destruction could he unleash?
A being who had lived for over a thousand years—one from the same era as LeBlanc—even if he wasn't the brightest, that kind of millennial accumulation of knowledge alone was enough to let him stand above the masses.
When Duke and Lux stepped into the main hall, they found it dim and dusty, as though no one had cleaned in ages. The air smelled faintly of soot and old parchment.
Shattered fragments of priceless porcelain and ancient relics were piled haphazardly in corners. The fireplace was cold, filled with gray ash.
"All right, insignificant traveling merchant!"
Veigar strained to turn an old armchair around, then jumped onto it. His tiny body sank into the plush cushions as he rubbed his staff absentmindedly. "What kind of goods have you brought for the great Veigar, Lord of Evil?"
"Show me everything! If you manage to please me, you shall leave here with riches beyond your wildest dreams!"
His sharp, squeaky voice carried that trademark sneer of . It was impossible for him to speak in any tone other than his high-pitched villainous declaration.
『Duke』: "I have precision machinery from Piltover, specialties from Demacia, unique magical materials from the far north—and a few rarer trinkets as well."
He released a drone, which flew up to the ceiling and projected a luminous display of goods, catching Veigar's full attention.
The little mage leaned forward curiously, peering at the list—but when he realized he looked too eager, he quickly sat back, pretending indifference.
"Hmph, sounds… interesting. Go on, tell me about them slowly."
Duke grinned. "Of course, my great Lord of Evil—but uh…" He rubbed his fingers together. "Do you, by chance… have money?"
"Money?"
Veigar shot up from the couch, his hat nearly falling off. "You dare question my wealth?!"
"Are you doubting the vast fortune I've accumulated—or questioning my power?!"
He struck the floor with his staff. "I, the Great Lord of Evil, Veigar, have money! Plenty of money!"
"Now show me your goods, pitiful merchant! Impress me, and I shall reward you with treasures beyond mortal imagination!"
Duke nodded with a knowing smile. "Then allow me to introduce my products."
He launched another drone, bathing the hall in soft light. Lux sighed quietly, seeing the gleam in Duke's eyes—his merchant's mischief was awakening again.
She didn't bother to stop him. Instead, she found a dusty little stool, sat down, propped her chin in her hands, and prepared to watch the show.
"First, I present precision machinery from Piltover!"
He gestured, and the drone projected a rotating 3D model of an old prototype unit he'd once used—a slightly outdated, but fully functional autonomous drone.
"This is the Autonomous Guard Drone! It can serve as your loyal protector, your hunting hound, or your fearless soldier, wiping out any foe before you!"
As he spoke, the projection demonstrated each function—patrolling, tracking, attacking—all with convincing detail.
Veigar's eyes widened. "Truly intricate craftsmanship!" he muttered before quickly clearing his throat. "Ahem—but compared to my great and evil powers, it's nothing worth mentioning!"
"Continue!"
He waved dismissively, though his eyes kept flicking back toward the projection.
『Duke』: (He's hooked.)
"Next," Duke continued smoothly, "a product designed specifically for a grand being such as yourself."
He switched the projection to reveal a floating platform—one of his modified anti-gravity stages from earlier prototypes.
"This, my lord, is called the Iron Throne! Stand upon it, and you shall always look down on all beneath you. It amplifies your voice like thunder, magnifies your image like a mountain, and comes with full visual and sound effects—ensuring you'll always be the center of attention!"
Veigar's hands trembled. His eyes gleamed with awe.
"Cough!"
The little mage straightened up quickly, realizing how transparent his expression was. "Ahem, yes, yes! Exactly what I need! How could my magnificent achievements lack a throne worthy of me?!"
"Merchant! Name your price! I must have the Iron Throne!"
Duke clasped his hands together. "You're in luck! We're currently holding a special promotion. The original price of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred gold coins—now available for only nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine! Buy now and save a fortune!"
The sound of Veigar's staff clattering to the floor echoed in the hall.
"You said how much?!"
"Ninety-nine thousand, now only nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine gold coins!" Duke repeated cheerfully.
"Why so expensive?!" Veigar spluttered.
"Because it's a symbol of royalty and greatness," Duke replied smoothly. "Royalty is priceless—and so is greatness. Surely the mighty Lord of Evil wouldn't be outdone by something so trivial as money?"
"Or wait… could it be that the great Veigar can't afford it?"
He smirked. "When the Grand Commander of Noxus and the King of Demacia purchased theirs, they didn't even blink."
"Silence!"
Veigar swung his staff furiously. "Do not insult me with such mortal concerns! Gold means nothing to me! Wealth is fleeting, mere dust in the eyes of eternity!"
Lux blinked. (So… he's just broke.)
『Duke』: "Then shall you pay in gold, or with an item of equal value?"
He held up the floating platform again. "And if you order now, I can even customize it for you."
"Customize?"
"That's right. Whatever you desire, I can make it so—provided, of course, you have the funds."
"Ah… well…"
Veigar hesitated, hopping off the couch and heading toward the upper stairs. "Wait here, merchant! The great Lord of Evil will now inspect his treasury!"
He vanished upstairs in a blur.
Lux leaned close, whispering, "Brother Duke… wasn't that thing just one of your random gadgets?"
Duke winked. "That's called packaging, Lux. Presentation is everything. And I did say custom-built, didn't I?"
Upstairs, Veigar's voice echoed faintly:
"What? None left? Impossible! I swear I had plenty of gold!"
"Where did it all go?"
"No! I must have that Iron Throne!"
Lux sighed. "He's really buying it, huh?"
『Duke』: "That's the power of good marketing."
He looked up through the floor as if seeing through it—Veigar rummaging through empty chests.
"As long as you know your customer's weakness, they're trapped in your hand."
Lux rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll just sit back and watch this unfold."
Moments later, Veigar rushed back down, slowing to a dignified pace when he saw Duke watching.
"Merchant," he began stiffly, "I admit your wares are… somewhat interesting. But alas, my treasury has recently been plundered by vile thieves! I cannot produce that much gold right now."
"Oh? Then perhaps…" Duke's eyes gleamed mischievously. "For special cases like yours, we offer loan services."
"Loan… services?"
"Indeed! With just a flick of your hand, you can acquire anything you desire without worry. Surely a mighty Lord of Evil would never fall for a scam, right?"
"Of course not! No one could ever deceive me! Tell me more of this… loan."
"We have several plans available," Duke explained smoothly. "But given your extraordinary dark power, I recommend our Work-for-Compensation plan. You sign a simple contract, leave a guarantee recording, and when the time comes, lend me a hand in battle. In return—you can take whatever you want."
"Ah, and naturally… a little interest applies."
Veigar's eyes lit up. He strode down the steps and waved his staff proudly. "Tell me your enemies' names, and I'll smite them with the fury of stars and darkness itself!"
"Let's not rush that part," Duke said cheerfully. "First, we'll record your guarantee."
He adjusted a drone's camera, angling it toward Veigar.
"Just a reminder," he added casually, "if you ever break the contract, the recording will be broadcast across all of Runeterra. That might… tarnish your reputation."
"I, the Lord of Evil, Veigar, will never break my word!"
"Perfect. Then look into the lens, introduce yourself, and repeat what appears on the projection."
As the tiny mage stood proudly before the camera, Duke's lips curled into a satisfied grin.
He was completely hooked.
Once this recording was made, Veigar would never escape his grasp.
Heh… time to let him experience the true power of FruitLoan™.
End of chapter....
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