Condemned Book 4: A Progression Fantasy LitRPG Series (Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line) E-Book

Vasily Mahanenko

• Herausgeber: Magic Dome Books
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Maximillian has been given the chance to avenge his family’s death: the Duke of Odoevsky has conspired in a plot against the emperor, and if Max plays his cards right, he’ll be able to destroy the man who read out his family’s execution order with such ecstasy. But one small mistake topples his plans, and now thousands of people caught in the clutches of terrible monsters are counting on him to save them. What choice must he make? Revenge or salvation?

Leseprobe

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

About the Author

Vasily Mahanenko

Condemned

Book 4

Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line

A Progression Fantasy Series

Published by Magic Dome Books

Condemned Book 4: A Progression Fantasy Series

(Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line)

Copyright © V. Mahanenko 2023

Cover Art © Lunar 2023

Cover Design V. Manyukhin

English translation copyright © Taylor Elise Margvelashvili 2023

Published by Magic Dome Books, 2023

Anschrift: Podkovářská 933/3, Vysočany, 190 00

Praha 9 Czech Republic IC: 28203127

All Rights Reserved

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental..

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Chapter 1

“MAX, YOUR MEETING WITH THE EMPEROR is tomorrow evening. How are things coming along?” The voice of Mother Alia, my personal servant, rang through my mind. The girl was only eighteen, but recently, she had been through more than most old codgers could boast of. The bonfire alone, which Alia had been sent to in defense of her ideals and of me, was trial enough. Thanks to the Word symbol given to me by Gray Magister Meram, we were able to communicate without any barriers, as we had been doing sporadically over the last three and a half weeks.

“I’m on level ten. Crawling forward. Five, maybe six more caves, by the feel of it. I should reach the Master in a couple of hours. If I don’t die first.”

“Try not to dawdle. No matter what anyone says, it’s nearly a day’s ride to the capital at full gallop. The Duke promised to deliver you in twelve hours, but let’s be realistic — you’ll spend a lot of time on the road. There’s a bath and two friends waiting here for you. Lana and Dana.

“You found them?!” The news even cleared my head a little, and the pressure of the dark aura dissipated so much that I was able to get to my hands and knees. I’d had to crawl through the last three caves.

“The Fortress always fulfills its obligations. Almost everyone who worked or served on the Valevsky estate is already here, in your new home. Including the twins.”

“Gustav?”

“Already at his post. This morning I visited the construction site. From what I saw, it’ll only take a few more days to finish the last aesthetic touches. They might even work through the night to finish before your arrival.”

“Okay, I’m crawling, I’m crawling! Any other news to report?”

“Not much. Reconstruction of the magical academy is in full swing. According to Kimal Sarento, classes will resume in two weeks. By the way, he asked me to let you know that he hasn’t forgotten his promise, and that there’s an elixir to add an extra facet with your name on it. He wants to hand it over to you himself. You’ll have to think about the most effective place to put it. The Fortress finally finished its assessment of the eight-level you closed. You are owed seventeen thousand gold, and on top of that, I squeezed five more elixirs out of them that will improve the quality of your magic stones.”

“How much gold?!” I asked, astounded.

“Why are you so surprised? Rifts are an extremely profitable enterprise, especially when they’re able to mine so much yem from one. Sure, you’ll only receive eight out of the seventeen thousand — the Fortress took part as compensation for the purchase of your estate. But all your financial obligations have been fulfilled and you don’t owe anyone anything. From now on, the estate officially belongs to you. It’s still in my name, of course, but as soon as you restore your status, we’ll transfer it to you.”

“So for this ten-level…” I was afraid to even speak such numbers aloud. My family never had that kind of money, that’s for sure.

“That’s right, for this ten-level, you’ll receive significantly more. I’m guessing twenty-five to thirty thousand, considering that you’re not touching the exclusive creatures. This is quite enough to buy yourself a small plot of land in any region. Even in the center. If the Duke of Turb keeps his promise, then as a viscount, you will need lands. Landless viscounts are looked down upon with significant disdain.”

“Is there any sort of doubt that he’ll keep his word?”

“There’s always a doubt. I didn’t see the Duke himself, but I had a private conversation with the chancellor. He says that there’s a certain force within the empire that can either put pressure on the duke or make some kind of move to prevent him from carrying out his plans. One of the targets of this force is you — someone who knows how to close rifts, now up to level ten. If things were done under the table, you can estimate for yourself the amount of money they’d receive. For that kind of money, many will reveal their true colors. The chancellor gave me documentation just in case — from now on you are officially a first-year student at his academy. Even if you don’t become a viscount, and this possibility cannot be ruled out while you’re still studying at the academy, you won’t be able to be kicked out. Even by the emperor himself. This is the law.”

“Alia, I hope you haven’t forgotten — I’m here trying to conquer the dark influence, and you’re talking about how they’re going to screw me over!” I couldn’t hold myself up with just one arm and collapsed onto the stone floor again. This Skron-damned rift would be the end of me!

“Max, it’s better to prepare for the worst and rejoice when it all works out.” Alia was clearly a pessimist. “For now, the Duke is fulfilling his obligations in full. Your new home has been restored. Viscount Kurpatsky is constantly monitoring the quality of the work. As for what will happen at the emperor’s reception, only the Light knows. Maybe everything will work out as planned. Maybe some force that wants to get their hooks in you will intervene. For some reason, I believe the chancellor — this force really does exist.”

“Who wants me?” I muttered, continuing to crawl forward. “I only have two rifts left.”

“That’s exactly right! Only two. That means they must be at least level ten, and level thirteen would be better. The High Priest already told me about how to increase the depth of a rift. Through casualties. Many casualties. But who is going around counting the numbers of the homeless, poor or enslaved? No one! When money’s on the line, and big money at that, the rational mind becomes clouded. All that remains is a lust for profit.”

“The High Priest…” The diSeniorspect in my tone did not go unnoticed.

“Max, don’t start. We’ve already had this discussion. We need the Fortress. You’ll still have to pass through the Dark Inquisition after every rift or encounter with a convert. What Father Urg did, he did for the good of the Fortress and our world. Even if he used controversial methods.”

“What disturbs me most of all is the fact that you defend him so zealously! Alia, they’ve sent bad men to the chopping block for much less! Without the right of even being sent to the doomed legion. How many lives did he cut short for Fardi’s sake? How many ordinary citizens of the empire were lost to his rifts? How many doomed soldiers were destroyed there? Yes, the Fortress grows and flourishes. But is this the only way? Building itself on the bones of its victims? Spawning monsters like Bishop Zwat?”

“Max, we’ve already had this conversation. I’m not revisiting the issue. And I don’t like that we keep ending up back here, despite all the agreements we’ve come to. It creates a persistent reluctance to speak with you.”

“Alright, I’ve made it to the guards. I’ll start back soon.”

“Go on then, the cleanup team is already waiting. As is your carriage.”

I removed my hand from the symbol and gazed gloomily up at the cave. Ten three-meter tall barrel bodies stood in the cave, motionless but ready to plunge into battle against the Light at any moment. But I didn’t consider myself among their ranks. My body was practically in spasms — my accelerated three-week immersion course through two levels had taken a heavy toll on me. I was starting to look like the withered husk of a Max that they had pulled out of the eight-level. In any case, the hands that constantly flashed before my eyes had once again become skin-covered bones. My body was devouring my muscles and fat in order to somehow restore the balance of power. The several backpacks full of food that were meant to last me a month had run out three days ago. I ate like crazy, and I had practically no need to relieve myself. Everything was being used!

Rift Master, here I come!

You already have a map of this location. Because the rift has reached or is deeper than level 10, an improvement has been added to the map: spawn locations of magic stones. Total improvements: 1 out of 10.

1 of 12 Amplify shards obtained. Total: 8 of 12.

5 of 100 Devour shards obtained. Total: 68 of 100.

A map of the central region appeared before my eyes. The rifts hadn’t gone anywhere, although the one that had been in Hearth was now grayed out, and there was a notification saying that in three weeks, it would “collapse.” I’d have to clarify what exactly that meant. But that’s not what caught my attention — a huge number of new points had appeared on the map! A good portion of them were white. When I focused my gaze on one of them, a description popped up:

Magic Stone Fireball. Level: 1. Number of facets: 0.

But there was more than just a smattering of white dots across the map. After figuring out how to filter out the useless, facet-less stones that wouldn’t even be mined for resources, I took in the significantly less cluttered map. The white dots didn’t disappear — there were still plenty of common stones that had one, or even two facets. But this made the dozen or so blue dots, three gold dots, and one red dot much more visible! Yes, there was even an exclusive stone in the central region. It was on the outskirts, near where I finished off the second khorib, but it was there!

Exclusive magic support stone Praxis. Level: 1.

What the stone did was a mystery to me — I’d never encountered one of its kind. Here, I should probably mention one caveat, without which my meetings with the High Priest, Duke of Turb and chancellor of the magic academy would never have occurred. Through Alia, they forced me to sign a paper and give an oath that I would never use Analyze on the High Priest or chancellor. I had to agree, at least until I could figure out how they were monitoring this. If it turned out that all the information I received from this stone was mine and only mine, I’d definitely use the opportunity to scan those two. True, I’d also have to find out the mechanism behind the Truth stone that Demitr Turbin (previously One) had mentioned. I’d been roped into this contract, after all, and that was one way the chancellor could ensure the conditions were fulfilled.

“Alia, the rift is closed. And I got something that might give me some leverage with the chancellor. Ask what he’s willing to give me for a map of all the magic stones in the central region.”

“Will do. Anything else, besides the updated map and fragments?”

“Nope. That should be more than enough. Alright, I’m climbing out. Time to call in the cleaners.”

I can’t say the way back proved easy. Just like the way there. If not for the ring I got from the metamorph, I don’t even know how many years it would have taken me to reach level ten. I was certain that even now, I wouldn’t be able to stand there without the ring on for more than a few seconds. As I walked past level nine, a malicious grin crept across my face. Here I did something that I don’t regret, but which I still wouldn’t tell anyone, except maybe Alia. And even that wasn’t for certain. The steel box that the blacksmith in Hearth made for me now housed an exclusive ousel from level nine. Level nine! I wouldn’t even need to put up my mirror — just remove the plug from a hole the size of a needle. Such a creature will not only reveal all converts in a huge radius, but in case of an emergency, it will make all my enemies fall to the ground. A sort of ultimate ability that could be used in extreme cases. If I’d had such a box during my meeting with Meram, I’m sure I would have been able to do at least something to oppose him. I don’t think it would be a good idea to mirror something so dark among the aristocrats, but I couldn’t just pass the small red ball by. My conscience did not allow it. As for the “legal” ousel I already had in there, as soon as I released him into the wild of the ninth, it was simply torn to shreds. Accustomed to flying under the sun, the dark beast was simply ill-prepared for such depths.

They were already waiting for me on the surface. The churchmen had dragged a whole crowd of people with them. A healthy dozen at least! My carriage, drawn by four horses, stood near the town hall. They didn’t even give me a chance to wipe it down! Climbing inside, I felt all the delights of my privileged position. Monograms on the carriage and horses indicated who owned this vehicle, so people scattered in all directions. No one wanted to disturb the Duke.

The journey proved quite standard — we galloped full speed, stopped once to change horses, and then raced onward. That was it! No jokes or anecdotes, just cold reality, coupled with the coachman’s desire to carry out the Duke’s order as quickly as possible. At a leisurely pace, the journey took two days. We made it in one, arriving just after dusk. At one point, I shamelessly drifted off, making my own journey much shorter, and I opened my heavy lids with difficulty as the carriage rolled to a stop.

We arrived at a huge mansion equipped with a dozen lamps powered by rift crystals. I liked the outside of the house — no pomp, everything was strictly functional and pragmatic. Only the four columns at the entrance spoiled the overall impression. I got out of the carriage, and immediately a delighted voice rang out:

“The master! Girls, the master of the house has arrived!”

What a sight! People poured out of the doors, surrounding and trying to explain things to me, somehow thinking that I could make out any of their individual voices in the din. Familiar cooks, laundresses, maids and even a gloomy stableboy — not just the summoned “girls,” but several boys as well.

“Tsss!” came a loud hiss, forcing everyone into silence. Gustav stood a few meters from the crowd. “How they cackle like hens! Haven’t you seen Maximilian before? Or do you have nothing else to keep you busy? Get to work, parasites! Hop to it! You, your Lordship, should have a bath. I’ll tell you frankly, you smell like an outhouse. We thought you’d be getting back earlier.”

“Since when did I become your Lordship?” I couldn’t hold back my sarcasm. “Just two months ago I was, ‘You stupid thing, drop and give me ten push-ups!’“

“That was two months ago,” Gustav said, dropping his gaze. “Well, why are you just standing there? Chop chop, let’s get you cleaned up!”

“That’s better.” Against my will, a smile crept across my face. “I missed you, mentor!”

“Go on then,” the owner of the bushy mustache waved me off, and I noticed a tear flashing in his ever-stern eyes. “Your room is on the second floor, on the right along the corridor. You can’t miss it. Your bath is ready and waiting. And that’s not all…”

I needed no further convincing. I nodded to my mentor and flew through the house like lightning, nodding at those I passed. The Fortress had really done its utmost — I was surrounded by familiar faces from childhood. I ran up the wide staircase to the second floor and instantly knew which room was mine. It was easy to tell from the “Welcome home!” sign posted on the door with rosebuds affixed next to it. It even looked nice, Skron take them!

I liked the room. A huge two-, no, three-person four-poster bed, several wardrobes, a couple of tables and chairs, a huge window covered with curtains and a separate, personal bathroom, from whence I heard the gurgling of water. I stepped into the bathroom, knowing full well what awaited me. My stars. Lana and Dana. The girls hadn’t changed a bit over these two months. They were just as beautiful, alluring and soft. Using all four hands, they removed my dirty clothes, which they immediately threw aside, after which they dragged me into a huge bathtub (more like a swimming pool) and I was transported to dreamland for a while. How grateful I was that fate had placed the Healing Aura stone in my path — it did a lot to restore my masculine virility after many happy endings. The girls were clearly yearning — they had never been so insatiable and sensual. It seemed that the poor things had suffered these past two months and were now channeling all their fears and worries through me, as if they were afraid that I would suddenly vanish again and their world would turn upside down.

We started in the bathroom, where I was thoroughly washed and dried, and finished on the bed. And then, when it was all over, I realized why the bed was so huge. Because from then on, all three of us would be sleeping in it! No one would ever take my twinkling stars from me again!

“Get up!” Alia’s voice rang through my head, worse than an alarm clock. It felt like a tub of cold water had been poured on me. All my drowsiness instantly disappeared, and I sat up abruptly, trying to figure out what was happening, searching for Alia in the room.

“I’m on the first floor. Get dressed and come down.”

Lana and Dana were no longer there. They had fled off to tend to some household chores. It was a shame — I actually felt up for another round after such a long time apart. I had to hop into a cold shower to calm down and focus.

I walked through the house, examining my new abode. I hadn’t really had the chance to take it all in the day prior. I liked the interior design. Simple, but appropriately elegant. Nothing gilded or porcelain, but there were some marble decorations. The staircase, for example, was not wooden, but stone. This was already a level up for me — we didn’t have a stone staircase at our previous estate. Alia settled in a spacious living room, with huge windows that let in a lot of light and lamps that flooded the surroundings in a pleasant blue glow, harmonizing beautifully with the curtains and walls. Whoever had selected the decor definitely had a sense of style.

Apart from Alia, all the important people were in the living room. Demitr Turbin, AKA One, my negotiator. Bagration Rubins, AKA Two, clerk and lawyer. Alexy Snor, AKA Three, teacher and future mage. Gustav, my combat training mentor, the Countess and three former doomed soldiers from her team. Flask, Gimlet and Rabblerouser. Alchemist, mage and head of the guard. Not a bad team for a petty aristocrat. A title which, incidentally, I still had not earned.

“Hello everyone.” I sat at the head of the table and a bowl of porridge appeared before me. The girl who brought it even touched my shoulder lightly. Seemingly by accident, but as if she didn’t believe it was really me. No one bothered me as I wolfed down my breakfast. They all saw how emaciated I looked, and judging by my portion size, they were trying to fatten me back up to normal in one meal.

“Alright. Listen, folks, I’ll say the dreaded words: I never studied to be a baron or a viscount. My father always believed my older brothers would assume this role, so they got the brains and I got the weapon. There’s no point in me going on about my exceptionality and upbringing — all that is something I’ll need to learn. I hope that under your strict guidance, watching how you protect and increase our capital, I will master everything. Because before, I only ever spent. Let’s decide right here and now who’s responsible for what. Countess…Oh, I don’t even know your name.”

“Once upon a time, my name was Countess Eleonora Berzonskaya,” answered the Countess. “Now the title is a thing of the past. My city was given to another, but I am still here.”

“I told you so!” I heard Alexy whisper. He elbowed Demitr as if he had just lost a bet.

“Madam Eleanora,” I began, but the woman corrected me with a disarming smile:

“Just Eleanora. ‘Madam’ and ‘Your Radiance’ are things I left behind.”

Only then did I realize why I had been so flustered this whole time. The Countess — uh, Eleanora, was in a gown! Her shoulders were exposed, but it was modest enough not to be considered vulgar. I was seeing her in an entirely different light. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into an intricate hairstyle that definitely wouldn’t fit under a helmet. I nearly drowned in her bright emerald eyes, which I had barely noticed before, and only my recent liaison with Lana and Dana helped me stay afloat. Eleanora was stunning. The first hints of age were starting to creep in around the edges of her face. She was about forty, but could still give most “little pipsqueaks,” as the Evil Engineer called young ladies, a run for their money. He was another one I definitely needed to meet with.

“Alright, Eleanora. From now on, you are the manager of our small estate. Even if the Valevsky family does not yet exist, since my meeting with the emperor is set to take place this evening, this doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. Please determine the most effective way to use all those present and assign them their work. Alia, what of our finances?”

“The Fortress is ready to bestow you your reward for the eight-level rift at any time.”

“Let’s get on with it then. We need to collect what we are owed before the churchmen come up with some other reason to dock our pay.”

“I accept your offer and agree to act as manager of this estate,” Eleanora nodded with such majesty that even I wanted to stand and applaud her. Damn it, she was good! “However, this can wait. As you correctly stated, Max, you have a meeting with the emperor this evening. This means we have absolutely no time for anything else. We must prepare you, and that is our task for the day. Everything else can wait. Mother Alia?”

“I completely agree and defer to your experience,” the girl nodded. “There is a lot riding on this meeting.”

“Fantastic. Then on to the first issue: what will you wear to the event?”

I gulped. Evidently, they had their work cut out for them.

(Palace of the Duke of Odoevsky, Odoevsk, one day before the emperor’s reception)

“Your Radiance, you have a guest. The one the Duke warned you about.”

Karina Fardi looked at Tari, her father’s assistant, and could hardly contain her disgust. She had never liked this scoundrel. Insolent, slippery, capable of weaseling his way in anywhere. If people like him found the right patrons, they could achieve a lot. Tari was the best example of this — a rootless townsman, he managed to gain the favor of Count Fardi and had already served him faithfully for ages. Just a couple of years ago, her father had lauded his deep, sincere faithfulness, even though Tari had bought a fine house in Odoevsk that could not have been purchased with the money the Duke paid him. However, the count did not punish his dishonest assistant. On the contrary, it brought him closer, turning him, in fact, into the second most influential person in the southeastern region. Anyone who was able to steal so competently deserved attention.

“Let him in.”

The doors opened, allowing the guest to enter. The girl, who was accustomed to the Evil Engineer’s appearance, was able to sit still, but still flinched when she saw the dense clouds of darkness surrounding the man. They enveloped him like a second skin, dissipating into the air a few centimeters from his clothing.

“Countess Fardi,” he said, bowing his head.

“Magister Elor,” the girl responded in kind.

“Shall we get right to it, or would you like to talk about the weather first?”

“What’s the point of delaying the inevitable? Let’s get to it. I need the strength to finish someone off. I cannot find this power within the Light. I’m not going to stop, so this is why my father brought you to me. I won’t even ask how you two know each other. I repeat — I need strength, and I am ready to give everything I have to achieve my goal. Skron wants my soul, let him take it! What’s important is that I personally rip out Dark Max’s heart!”

“You have too much of a prejudice toward the dark ones, Karina. What makes you think that Skron wants your soul?”

“Huh?” the girl frowned. “Don’t you want to turn me into a convert?”

“You?!” A look of sheer astonishment appeared on Magister Elor’s face. “The one who the Fortress prophesied would become a Cleaner? No, Countess, you’re destined for a different fate. You will certainly not become a weak-willed puppet. Give me your hand.”

The girl meekly complied. A knife appeared in his hand, and he slashed through his own flesh first, and then cut Karina on the wrist. Pressing the wounds together to mix the blood, he said:

“From henceforth, I, Dark Magister Elor, from among the highest hierarchs of darkness, take you, Karina Fardi, as my student. Let Skron be my witness!”

“Let Skron be my witness,” Karina repeated, as if spellbound, and her eyes wide. Before a flash of pain transported the girl to oblivion, she saw her world change. She now had a status bar! The very thing that made Max dark!

Chapter 2

“FIRST-YEAR STUDENT of the Magic Academy of the Zarak Empire, dark human recognized by the Fortress, person of undetermined status and identity, Max, Hunter of Darkness!”

A sense of unease welled up in my chest, but I shoved it down and entered the main hall of the imperial palace. They really had to announce to everyone that I was dark. The gaze of everyone gathered there was fixed on me — I was the guest of honor, after all. Some were looking on with interest, others with outright disgust, but the majority were completely indifferent. The highest aristocrats of the empire did not understand why it had to waste its precious time on some amateur “hero” and were bored. Sure, he was amusing enough, something to glance over once like an animal in the zoo, but nothing more. How many of these animals pass through this hall every week? Dozens? Hundreds? Tedious…

The debate about what I should wear lasted for ages. Eleanora strongly recommended going to the best tailor in the capital and placing an urgent order. These master tailors would only need three to four hours to work wonders. Alia, on the contrary, had an extremely negative view of the nobility’s dress code. In her opinion, my garments should correspond to the position I currently occupy. That is, I should dress as a hunter of darkness. The name had stuck — even the High Priest had used it a couple of times. We eventually agreed on my proposal, which suited both sides. And me too, to be honest. Because when Eleanora declared how much she’d spent on an urgent order for a dress nine years ago, I seriously considered changing careers. Three thousand gold! And this was only the cost of labor, not including materials. Had they all gone completely mad here in the capital? I didn’t think the prices would have changed very drastically over the past nine years. And if they had, they’d only have grown. Three thousand gold for a dress...what nonsense!

So my suggestion had been to dress as a student of the magic academy. The perfect neutral option. Since Kimal Sarento had given me an official document showing anyone who asked that I was a representative of this fine educational institution for the next two-and-a-half years, and this was an opportunity I simply could not pass up. No matter how I dressed, someone would be unhappy — too bright, too lush, too skimpy, too dull. One can find fault in any clothing, so let it be with the uniform approved by the empire.

After I visited the residence of Bishop Zwat, now hero and savior of Hearth, where they had seriously started considering renaming several streets in his honor, the emperor’s palace was not particularly exciting. Yes, it was beautiful. Yes, it was luxurious. Yes, it was tasteful. But that was all. There was not the sense of the excessive pomp and display of wealth that had been an inherent part of the bishop’s estate. There was an attempt, of course — the marble frames, pervasive porcelain and gold wherever possible, but on a much smaller scale. At best, the emperor’s palace looked like Bishop Zwat’s country house.

Striding past the main crowd, I hovered for a moment by the throne, meeting the eyes of the man who killed my entire family. The Duke of Odoevsky, like all the other heads of regions, stood next to the throne, as the guarantor of the integrity of the empire. Count Fardi’s eyes showed no emotion, and I could barely restrain myself. This was not the time! If I struck out now, not only would I never reach my target, but I’d also say goodbye to my life. I was sure that the Duke had at least three or four amulets that blocked lethal damage. Count Nikitin, for instance, carried two. He’d shown them to me personally.

Nevertheless, I was sincerely unhappy that all my weapons had been confiscated and the steel hoops had been refastened around my neck, arms and legs. As a mage, I was still unsafe. On top of that, there were two guardsmen following behind me with cocked crossbows. I’d already been warned that as soon as I lifted one finger to attack anyone, it would be the last thing I ever did.

I had to look away and move on. According to protocol, I was not allowed to speak until the emperor greeted me. A man who had died had no right to speak until he was revived. Leaving the duke behind, I took a few more steps and approached the throne. It was no less crowded up here.

Emperor Devalon the Sixth was a rather plump man with sausage fingers framed by five elite gold rings. His flabby cheeks hung down and melted into his triple chin. His beady eyes were hidden behind drooping eyelids that were propped up with lenses so that the color of his iris was only visible from close up. But the most unpleasant thing was his mouth and a habit that immediately reminded me of Zurgan Shor. The fat man constantly chewed his lips like it was some sort of oral fixation. If you were to remove all the emperor’s fancy garments and place him next to the magic academy’s head security officer, only a select few would be able to tell them apart.

Standing near the emperor was his family. A rather pretty woman with a slender build, as well as two children. The heir to the throne, a twenty-five-year-old young man who clearly took after his mother in his bearing, and Miralda Lertan. She was definitely daddy’s girl. In terms of build, they were exactly the same. While the heir looked down on me with indifference, clearly preoccupied with his own thoughts, the princess had her piggy eyes fixed on me. And I really did not like the look she was giving me.

I knelt, waiting for someone to react. I didn’t have to wait long. The emperor’s voice was just as unpleasant as his appearance. I have never heard such a reedy, thin voice. Even Miralda’s was more pleasant.

“Well, well, well,” said Devalon the Sixth, kicking off the ‘Pardoning the Doomed Soldier’ Showcase. “Who do we have here? The hero who saved the entire capital? The man who managed to close a fifteen-level rift single-handedly? Or a doomed soldier eager to escape from the Fortress and avoid his deserved punishment? Perhaps the answer is obvious to all of us. Rise, landless baron Maximilian Valevsky! I want to get a good look at you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” That was it! I could barely hold back a grin that would reveal my true feelings. I was no longer a doomed soldier! Damn, how sweet it was! The Fortress no longer had a grip on me! As Eleanora predicted, they didn’t waste much time on me, so now all I had to do was retreat back to the Duke of Turb, get down on one knee, and become a viscount. But things weren’t going exactly according to plan. The emperor did not want to release me.

“A landless baron...Darling, don’t you think such a petty title is unworthy of our hero? After all, he saved our lives! Can you imagine what would have happened to your beloved garden if the dark beasts had broken in?”

The emperor addressed his silent wife, who stared straight ahead, as if the proceedings didn’t concern her at all. This didn’t bother Devalon the Sixth one bit.

“That’s what I think as well. It’s not proper for the man who saved my favorite city to remain a simple landless baron. The neighbors won’t understand. I think this little misunderstanding should be cleared up immediately! Henceforth, I, Devalon the Sixth, Emperor of the Zarak Empire, grant the landless Baron Valevsky the title of Viscount Valevsky with direct vassalage to the empire. You haven’t forgotten the words of the oath, have you, Baron Valevsky?”

Nothing was going according to plan. Yes, I’d managed to avoid the Duke of Odoevsky, but I had to swear an oath to the Duke of Turb, not the emperor himself. This would, of course, free me from having to deal with all manner of counts and viscounts, even dukes, but it came with huge restrictions in terms of carrying out the emperor’s orders. Being a direct vassal was not a good idea. Especially to such an emperor as him.

But I didn’t have the right to refuse. I mean, I could say that I didn’t accept this decision and didn’t plan to become a viscount, or even a baron, but those would be my last words. They’d strike me down on the spot, despite my status as a “hero” and the potential profit I’d bring in from closing rifts. What were three or four hundred thousand gold pieces to an empire? A drop in the bucket. Self-respect was worth more.

Kneeling down, I stretched out my hands and kept my face solemnly blank as the emperor took them in his.

“Emperor Devalon the Sixth, henceforth, I am in your service!” The vassal oath was simple. The Emperor hoisted me up by my arms to stand.

“To your feet, Viscount Valevsky! Henceforth, you are in my service!”

And that was that! All that was left to do was to draw up documents at the office, secure the estate and become known throughout the empire as a landless viscount. I bowed my head and prepared to leave, but the emperor was not eager to let me go.

“Viscount Valevsky, we have information that you are hiding something of great value to the empire! This was permitted when you were a slave of the Fortress, but now that we have taken upon the obligation to protect you, hiding something of such value from the emperor is a true crime.”

“Forgive me my ignorance, emperor, but I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, every fiber of my being squirming with a sense of impending doom.

“The ring, imbecile!” snorted the princess. “The exclusive ring that you received in the rift!”

“Miralda,” the emperor said with a disapproving glance at his daughter. She seemed embarrassed, but just for a few seconds. Devalon the Sixth turned his gaze to me:

“Although the princess allowed her emotions to get the best of her, being outraged by the injustice of the situation, the general sentiment was correct. We know that you received an exclusive ring in the rift. We know that instead of transferring this value to the empire, you brazenly put it on it. What can you say in your defense, Viscount Valevsky?”

“I have nothing to justify, Your Majesty.” This was starting to feel like a farce. “I received this ring as a representative of the Fortress. I earned the right to wear this ring with my own blood and suffering. Without this ring, I would not be able to fulfill my duty of destroying the rifts.”

“From now on you are a viscount, and not a slave of the Fortress. Viscounts have no business in the rifts, so the ring will no longer be of use to you,” the emperor decided. “We believe that the time has come to stand firm and remind the Fortress and the magic academy whose territory they stand on. We have prepared a new decree! Henceforth, all exclusive items, regardless of their form, must be transferred to the imperial treasury! Only the emperor of the Zarak Empire will have the right to distribute exclusive items to particularly distinguished aristocrats, and the item in question must be returned to the treasury after that person’s death. The law applies both to future finds and to all past ones received by the inhabitants of the empire before the adoption of the law. I will grant you one week for all exclusive-type items to be transferred to the imperial treasury. A special department will be formed to register the value of these items. If, a week from now, anyone is found in possession of exclusive items, this offense will be considered a betrayal of the interests of the empire. Let it be so!”

“Are we speaking of items only, or does the empire wish to get its paws on the magic stones as well?” Kimal Sarento’s voice sounded in the thunderous silence.

“We are not interested in exclusive stones,” Devalon the Sixth answered after a pause. “According to the decree of my respected ancestor, they remain with the magic academy and the Fortress. You must surrender everything else within a week! Viscount Valevsky! In accordance with the laws of the Zarak Empire, every upgrade in title obliges you to spend three years on the Wall, proving by example that our decision was justified. You’re leaving today!”

“The law does not apply to current students of the academy, your majesty.” Kimal Sarento launched into open confrontation. “Viscount Valevsky is a first-year student at the magic academy and cannot go to the Wall.”

“The Academy is destroyed!” Miralda shouted, and this time no one stopped the princess. “You can’t be a student of something that no longer exists!”

“The princess is right, there is no academy. No one is able to carry out their studies. By your words, dear count, it will be another month before construction is finished,” said the emperor, without taking his eyes off the chancellor. The tension was reaching a peak. It felt like the air might flash with lightning any moment. But I registered the chancellor’s status as a count with surprise. I had never thought of Kimal Sarento from that perspective.

“Well, in that case, you leave me no choice, Your Highness,” Kimal Sarento said, pulling out a sheet of paper. “I was saving it for the presentation after the ceremony, but who would have expected things to turn out this way? May I?”

“What is that?” the emperor snarled in displeasure. The spitting image of Zurgan Shor!

“An agreement we came to with Max a long time ago. I beg your pardon — with Viscount Valevsky. Order on the appointment of Maximilian Valevsky as an instructor at the magic academy of the Zarak Empire, on the subject matter ‘Adaptations to the Dark Influence.’ I hope no one needs to explain that there is no other person in our empire — in the whole world, in fact, who is as impervious to the dark influence at such high doses?”

“He’s only eighteen!” Miralda burst out. “He can’t be a teacher!”

“Miralda,” the emperor scolded his daughter. “We require some clarification, chancellor!”

“Most certainly, Your Highness. I’ve been meaning to offer classes in this discipline for a long time, but I couldn’t find the right person. I’ve found him. The academy’s charter does not specify age limits for instructors. Even a child with sufficient skills could teach.”

“Paper!” demanded the emperor, holding out his hand. “His signature’s not on it!”

“That is correct, he has not yet signed. As I already stated, it was meant to be a surprise. A nice bonus after the meeting closed. However, you left me no other choice, I had to intervene. My teachers are not obliged to go to the Wall, this is the agreement between the empire and the magic academy, in effect since time immemorial. I respect the emperor’s right to hold all exclusive items. I agree that he is the only one permitted to dispose of items of such value. But in return, I must insist that the rights of my academy are respected. Viscount Maximilian Valevsky, do you agree to become an instructor at the magic academy of the Zarak Empire and to train students to adapt to the darkness? I believe there will be more than enough space in the training grounds for these purposes. No one will have to go down into the rift.”

“I accept,” I said. Being shipped off to the Wall was not part of the plan.

“He cannot be a student and a teacher at the same time!” Miralda practically shrieked. I wondered why the princess disliked me so much. We hadn’t really crossed paths all that often. Except for that time when she tried to kill me.

“Would the princess like to take another exam to test her knowledge of the academy’s rules and regulations?” Sarento asked. Incredibly, the girl looked down and fell silent.

“A rise in rank means service on the Wall,” the emperor stubbornly insisted.

“No one is refuting this, Your Majesty. As soon as Viscount Valevsky ceases to be an instructor and student, he will fulfill his duty. I have no intention of breaking the age-old laws.”

“Let it be so!” proclaimed the emperor. “Once he ceases teaching, Viscount Valevsky will be sent to the Wall and spend three years there defending it.”

“Or ceases to be a student,” added Kimal Sarento.

“Or ceases to be a student,” the emperor reluctantly agreed. “Viscount, you are free!”

“I’ll be waiting for you at eight tomorrow morning,” Kimal Sarento said, intercepting me as soon as I left the throne room. “We’ll discuss the curriculum and your salary. I do not believe this is the place to discuss such details.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the chancellor didn’t want to talk about anything that had just happened. Well, yeah, this wasn’t how I imagined my return to the land of the living either. Not in the least.

“So you’re a viscount now?” An unpleasantly familiar voice called out. Turning around, I saw several smartly dressed young men my age. The procession was led by Baron Dahlem. “So poor that you couldn’t afford to buy yourself some decent clothes? Seeing an academy uniform at an event like this is completely surreal!”

“Do mine ears deceive me? Did the Baron Dahlem just call the official uniform of the magic academy ‘indecent attire?’“ I used the same technique that Karina used when looking for an opponent. Loudly, for all to hear, so that there is not a single chance for them to get away. “Does the Baron Dahlem speak only for himself, for his family or for the Guard Academy of His Imperial Majesty?”

I’d definitely need to find someone to teach me the proper way to communicate with aristocrats. For now I was imitating the woman I swore to kill the next time we met. The way the baron’s eyes darted toward me as his henchmen abruptly retreated spoke volumes. I’d hit the right nerve.

“Is someone sullying the name of my academy?” Kimal Sarento rose up behind me. “Someone doesn’t like my uniform?”

“Let’s just say there are many of us who aren’t fans,” chimed in a new voice, unexpectedly coming to Baron Dahlem’s defense. The elegant formalwear could not hide the military bearing of the person approaching. He was among a group of men for whom appearance is a secondary consideration, striking a clear contrast with Kimal Sarento. Perhaps once he had been handsome, but time and the darkness had taken their toll. His face was distorted by terrible scars which pulled the corners of his mouth into a grimace and his right eye was clearly made of glass. Nevertheless, just one glance at this man was enough to realize that I needed to run. His every movement signaled danger.

“Count Rudius Vervok, how lovely to see you.” Kimal Sarento was etiquette incarnate. “Did the chancellor of His Imperial Majesty’s Elite Guard Academy really decide to personally congratulate my student on receiving hero status? It really wasn’t worth all that. You could have just sent a card.”

“You violated the agreement, Kimal.” Rudius’ tone betrayed his military background instantly. It was the bark of a man accustomed to giving orders. “We clearly discussed and recorded the terms and conditions about who has the right to appear in uniform and where. This is a violation.”

“I will admit it,” Sarento said, folding surprisingly easily. “My mistake. I am ready to make an official apology and compensate for your moral suffering.”

“No, Count, this time you won’t get off so easily. It’s time to find out which educational institution is superior. I, Rudius Vervok, chancellor of the Guard Academy, challenge you, Kimal Sarento, chancellor of the magic academy. Student versus student. Teacher versus teacher. Chancellor versus chancellor. Whoever wins will have the right to wear their uniform anywhere, anytime.”

“If I understand correctly, you’re speaking only of steel, not of magic?”

“We are the elite of the imperial army! We will prevail, even if you use all the Skron-damned magic in your arsenal! Honor and glory! Steel and fist!”

“Well, apparently the time has come for us to set some things straight, Rudius. Expect a visit from me tomorrow, we’ll discuss the conditions of the competition. And I’ll make this clear right here and now — neither my students, nor my teachers, and especially I will not use combat abilities. Defensive, perhaps, but definitely not combative. There is no honor in defeating you on our home turf. But crossing swords with you is a more interesting prospect. We accept!”

(Secret residence. Turb. Two hours later.)

The man with his sights on the throne frowned at the five dukes, trying to decide how to proceed. Everything that he had so carefully prepared over the past few weeks had collapsed overnight as a result of the actions of one wily silver fox.

“Awaiting orders, sir.” As one of his closest and most influential associates, the Duke of Odoevsky was the first to risk breaking the prolonged silence.

---ENDE DER LESEPROBE---