Chapter 40: 12 Loud Conspiracies

Chapter 40: 12. Loud Conspiracies

In South America, nestled within the Lucesia jungles, lies a temple city. Dazzling and radiant, it is known as Hesota, the "City of the Sun." Due to its location and history, the City of the Sun has become the most heavily fortified and militarily potent of all temple cities. Squads of Lizardmen warriors patrol the plazas and city walls; the scars on the outer ramparts stand as witnesses to the countless times this city has resisted foreign invasion over the millennia.

The city's most striking structure is the Pyramid of the Southern Astral Stars. In the stargazing chamber at its summit, the city's leader—the current most powerful and ancient Slann Mage-Priest, Lord Mazdamundi—slowly awakens from a brief slumber.

Mazdamundi looks up to gaze into the profound depths of the cosmos, pondering whether the Old Ones are still there, and whether the "Great Plan" truly holds meaning. Looking down, only Pichibochi remains by his side, having already prepared his favorite dried insects.

Dakus spends a while wandering below, taking the opportunity to check on Chupacoco. Kalien's primary duty remains looking after him, though the situation has improved; the Spirit Lizard can now speak a bit of common Elven, albeit with a distinct Lucesian accent.

As the weather has grown colder, Chupacoco spends all day curled up in his burrow, looking very much as if he is preparing for hibernation. When Dakus went to check on him, the creature was buried under layers of blankets, snoring loudly; Dakus decided not to wake him.

"Even Spirit Lizards snore when they sleep."

"Jaeger, aren't you going up to join the banquet?"

Jaeger shook his head calmly and said, "My Lord, apologies, I do not care for such things. I prefer being with the beasts."

The welcoming banquet at Night Watch Castle has begun, and the main hall is already a kaleidoscope of shimmering lights. Dakus has no interest in attending; after stepping out, he led Wat through a side door to the dining area for dinner. Afterward, relying on memory, he avoided the crowds and wound his way through several turns to the third floor. Standing at the corner of the stairs, he looked down at the reveling Druchi nobles and shook his head.

At that moment, Dakus sensed a gaze fixed upon him from below. He looked over and saw a young Druchi male, over two meters tall, gnawing on a bloody ox heart while staring at him. Seeing Dakus watching him, the Druchi stuffed the rest of the heart into his mouth, chewing with a perverse grin while waving at Dakus with eyes full of ferocity and murderous intent.

"My Lord, that is Mangir of the Heart-Eater family."

Dakus said coldly, "I know him. If you don't want to attend the banquet, go back to your room first."

Since all of Malanur's "dear brothers and sisters" had arrived, Dakus didn't tease him and simply sent him away. He had an impression of Mangir—the son of Krar, patriarch of the Heart-Eater family. He had seen him once during a city noble banquet; the man's 2.2-meter height was imposing, and he had looked at Dakus with extreme provocation, as if looking at meat on a chopping block, leaving a deep impression on the then-minor Dakus.

"I'll find a chance to kill you and gouge your eyes out."

Dakus flashed a dark, ruthless smile, extended his right hand to give Mangir the middle finger, and turned to continue toward the fourth floor.

The Black Ark *Wrathful Bulwark* belongs to the Heart-Eaters—a small Black Ark two kilometers long. It has repeatedly attacked the coasts and shipping lanes of Ulthuan, and Norsca, Bretonnia, Arabia, and the Southern Realms have all suffered from its presence as it spreads terror everywhere. Patriarch Krar is a Lord of Terror; like the Morgal family, he holds two seats in the Druchi Council of a Hundred, though this family possesses very distinct ideas and perspectives.

At the entrance to Dakus's spire, Malanur was leaning against the railing, watching the banquet below. He was clenching his teeth, his expression shifting unpredictably, as if thinking of something pleasant.

"My dear brother, if you aren't going down to the banquet, what are you doing at my door?"

Malanur turned to Dakus with a smile. "I'm waiting for you, my dear little brother!"

Dakus replied with a look of disdain, "What is there to wait for? There are plenty of young, beautiful female Druchi waiting for you downstairs."

Malanur's face darkened again. "I am not the protagonist today; it is the father and son, Baler." He paused, sighed, and continued, "This afternoon, Young Lord Nuker sought me out. Patriarch Krar wants to marry his daughter to me."

Dakus leaned beside Malanur and glanced down. He knew her—the famous socialite of Krak Lond, Mangir's sister.

She had purple eyes of Nagarythe lineage, a slender figure, and moved with effortless grace. Dressed in a green silk gown, her thick, lustrous black hair was tied in a heavy braid that reached her waist, adorned with shimmering grayish-white bone fragments. Her hairstyle represented a dark Druchi legend filled with sordid dealings; she seemed to be secretly pursuing something—perhaps a way to approach Slaanesh, the god of love and excess?

At this moment, a group of young Thoms surrounded her.

Dakus did not tease Malanur further, for he could sense that Malanur was extremely displeased and could erupt at any moment.

"Oh~ poor Malanur, this is a test from Young Lord Nuker." As he spoke, Dakus pulled a gold velvet pouch from his robes and handed it to Malanur. "The jewelry inside is very, very beautiful. It came from the Gorond gold mines and was processed by the female sorceresses of the Dark Magic Convent. The quality is exquisite; she will surely love it."

Malanur poured the jewelry into his palm to inspect it, looked for a while, and then put it back into the pouch, tucking it into his robes.

Dakus said darkly, "My dear brother, you could choose one piece to give to her."

His subtext was to coat the jewelry in slow-acting poison.

Malanur pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "No, the success rate is too low, and it would be too easy to discover. If I succeed, the nobles in the city will suspect it was me."

Dakus understood. He shrugged indifferently and said, "Then it will have to depend on Furlan Baler. Use him to find an opportunity to lure her out of the city—perhaps with some pretext like a poison that can instantly kill us both, or a conspiracy to seize power. Winter is approaching, and in a few days, I must depart for the forest. When the time comes, find a few skilled men and I will handle it. I will send her back to Krak Lond in one piece."

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Furlan Baler looked immensely smug, seemingly very satisfied with yesterday's plan. A group of female Druchi swirled around him; he appeared to be the most prominent Druchi of the night.

Malanur thought again, then gave a wicked smile and patted Dakus on the shoulder.

"You truly are my dear little brother. I'm heading down now; the ladies downstairs are waiting for me. Tonight, I'll find a female sorceress to appraise the jewelry you gave me."

Dakus ignored him and continued leaning on the railing, watching below.

"It seems the city nobles are being disobedient again. What are the Spikefang family and the Heart-Eater family loudly conspiring about?" He then thought of the old man from the Calvo family, whose neck was so stiff he couldn't even bow, on the day he had returned.

Druchi political struggle was pathological. It did not follow the "three-step" method of the Eastern Romans—the hairpin, the castration, the convent.

Instead, it was extreme and pure, focused primarily on the destruction of the flesh, with no bottom line and no hesitation to destroy everything—a "Byzantine" style filled with deception and intrigue.

"The Day of the Dagger? I like it."

Mangir, White Dwarf Issue 298, Warhound Mercenary.

(End of Chapter)