Luna slipped into the warden's office like death itself, moving with a predatory grace that made my own stealth attempts look clumsy by comparison. I watched through the slightly open door as she approached Blackwater from behind, the paralytic poison already coating the tip of her recovered dagger.
The minister was muttering to himself, rehearsing what sounded like a speech about heroically preventing a dangerous criminal's escape. His arrogance was almost pathetic—he truly believed his own lies.
"Minister Blackwater," Luna's voice was silk wrapped around steel. "How lovely to see you again."
The man spun around, his face cycling through confusion, recognition, and finally terror in the span of a heartbeat. "You... you're supposed to be in chains!"
"Yes," Luna smiled, and I felt a chill run down my spine despite knowing I was on her side. "I was. But it seems I've found a more... generous employer."
Before Blackwater could cry out, Luna's dagger flicked forward with surgical precision. The poison worked instantly—his body seized up, muscles locking in place, but his eyes remained wide and aware. Perfectly conscious, completely helpless.
"Excellent work," I said, stepping into the office and closing the door behind me. "Now we have approximately fifteen minutes before his absence becomes noticeable."
Luna dragged the paralyzed minister to the warden's chair, propping him up like a grotesque puppet. "Only fifteen minutes? How disappointing. I had such plans for him."
"We'll have more time later," I assured her. "But first, we need information."
I pulled out a small vial of truth serum—one of the original Aldric's more useful acquisitions. "This will loosen his tongue without killing him. Yet."
Luna's violet eyes gleamed with approval. "You come prepared. I like that in a partner."
The system screen appeared:
[INTERROGATION SEQUENCE INITIATED]
[TARGET: MINISTER BLACKWATER]
[TRUTH SERUM EFFECTIVENESS: 94%]
[INFORMATION EXTRACTION OPTIMAL]
I administered the serum while Luna positioned herself where Blackwater could see her clearly. The terror in his eyes was exquisite—he knew exactly what was coming.
"Let's start with something simple," I said, settling into the chair across from him. "How many people are involved in your embezzlement network?"
The truth serum and paralytic poison made resistance impossible. "Seven... seven main conspirators... dozens of smaller players..."
"Names," Luna demanded, her dagger tracing patterns in the air near his face.
"Lord Thornwick... Merchant Goldstein... Captain Reeves of the City Guard... Magistrate Whitmore... Banker Cromwell... and..." his voice became barely a whisper, "Duke Ravencrest."
My blood ran cold. Duke Ravencrest was one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom, a man who commanded armies and influenced royal policy. If he was involved in this corruption network, then the rot went deeper than I had imagined.
"Interesting," I murmured. "And what exactly is Duke Ravencrest's role in all this?"
"He... he provides protection... political cover... in exchange for thirty percent of all profits..."
Luna and I exchanged glances. This was bigger than a simple embezzlement scheme—this was a systematic looting of the kingdom's treasury, protected by one of the most influential men in the realm.
"Where do you keep your records?" I asked.
"Safe... behind the painting... in my study... combination is... is my daughter's birthday..."
The system screen flickered:
[MAJOR CORRUPTION NETWORK IDENTIFIED]
[NETWORK LEADER: DUKE RAVENCREST]
[ESTIMATED STOLEN FUNDS: 50,000 GOLD CROWNS]
[POLITICAL INFLUENCE: EXTREMELY HIGH]
[THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL]
This was perfect. The original Aldric had been viewed as a minor threat, a young noble playing at being dangerous. But if I could bring down Duke Ravencrest's entire network, I would establish myself as a force to be reckoned with.
"One more question," Luna said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you ever think about what would happen to me after you threw me to the wolves?"
Blackwater's eyes filled with something that might have been regret. "I... I'm sorry... I had no choice... Ravencrest said you knew too much..."
"No choice?" Luna's laugh was like breaking glass. "You always had a choice. You chose money over loyalty. You chose safety over honor. You chose to betray the one person who had never failed you."
She looked at me. "I believe our fifteen minutes are almost up."
I nodded, standing up. "Minister Blackwater, you're going to do exactly what we tell you to do. You're going to continue playing your role in this little drama, but now you work for us. Understood?"
The paralytic was beginning to wear off, and he managed a weak nod.
"Good. Luna, would you be so kind as to help the minister understand the consequences of betraying us?"
What Luna did next was a masterpiece of psychological warfare. She didn't hurt him—not physically. Instead, she described in vivid detail exactly what would happen to him, his family, and his legacy if he even thought about crossing us. By the time she finished, Blackwater was sweating through his expensive robes despite the cool dungeon air.
"You will go to your study tonight," I instructed. "You will retrieve those records. Tomorrow, you will meet us at the Crimson Rose tavern at midnight. You will bring everything—documents, account books, correspondence. Everything."
"And if I refuse?" he managed to whisper.
Luna's smile was radiant and terrifying. "Then you'll discover that there are fates much worse than execution."
We left him there, shaking and broken, and made our way out of the prison through the same route we had used to enter. The guards would find him in his chair, apparently having fallen asleep while working late. By the time he recovered enough to function normally, we would be long gone.
As we emerged into the cool night air, Luna turned to me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"You're not like other nobles," she said. "They would have killed him immediately, or used him as a puppet without letting him know his strings were being pulled. You gave him a choice."
"Did I?" I asked. "Or did I just make him think he had one?"
She laughed, a sound that was equal parts admiration and wariness. "Perhaps both. Either way, it was elegantly done. But now I have a question for you."
"Ask it."
"Duke Ravencrest is one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom. He has armies, assassins, political connections that reach into the royal court itself. Why are you willing to make an enemy of him?"
I looked up at the stars, considering my answer. The truth was complicated—I knew from the original novel that Ravencrest would eventually become one of the primary antagonists, a man whose corruption would weaken the kingdom just when it needed strength most. But I couldn't explain that to Luna.
"Because men like Ravencrest are parasites," I said finally. "They feed on the kingdom's strength while contributing nothing but decay. They hide behind their titles and their armies, thinking themselves untouchable. I intend to prove them wrong."
"And if you're wrong? If we bite off more than we can chew?"
I turned to face her, letting my crimson eyes glow with the power that the system had awakened in me. "Then we'll die fighting. But I'd rather die as a hunter than live as prey."
Luna studied my face in the moonlight, then nodded slowly. "Very well. I'm with you. But I want something in return."
"Name it."
"When we bring down Ravencrest, I want to be the one to kill him. Personally."
The system screen appeared:
[MAJOR QUEST ACCEPTED]
[OBJECTIVE: DESTROY DUKE RAVENCREST'S CORRUPTION NETWORK]
[REWARD: MASSIVE EXPERIENCE GAIN, POLITICAL INFLUENCE, LUNA'S ULTIMATE LOYALTY]
[WARNING: FAILURE WILL RESULT IN POWERFUL ENEMIES]
I extended my hand to her. "Partners?"
She took it, her grip firm and warm. "Partners."
As we walked through the darkened streets toward our separate safe houses, I couldn't help but smile. The original Aldric had been a brute, using force and intimidation to get what he wanted. But I was learning to be something more dangerous—a strategist.
Tomorrow, we would begin the systematic destruction of one of the kingdom's most powerful men. We would turn his own network against him, use his corruption as a weapon, and watch his empire crumble from within.
The best part? He would never see it coming.
The game was just beginning, and I intended to win.
But first, there was one more stop I needed to make tonight. Lord Thornwick was hiding at the Golden Rose brothel, drunk and convinced of his own cleverness. It was time to teach him that there was nowhere to hide from the consequences of his actions.
After all, every good revenge story needed a few object lessons.
And I was just getting started.
[CHAPTER END]
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: LUNA SHADOWMERE'S LOYALTY INCREASED TO 75%]
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: SHADOW NETWORK - COORDINATE STEALTH OPERATIONS]
[NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: "THE GOLDEN ROSE GAMBIT"]