The Fortified City of Weise.
An uninvited guest had come to the lord's manor.
The instant the office door swung open, Glück's brow gave the faintest, almost imperceptible twitch. Macht, standing at attention nearby, likewise let something flicker across his face.
"Um... Father... someone is asking to see you."
Lektire stepped inside, her voice trembling, a knot of fear twisting in her chest.
A short blade was pressed against her back. The finely dressed man in the white mask followed her in.
"I've finally found you. What a pleasure to meet you at last, Lord Glück."
The man's voice floated out from behind the white mask — cheerful, almost playful.
"And who are you?"
Glück's tone was even, betraying not the slightest agitation. This was his territory, and Macht was right beside him.
"For the man who turned a corrupt backwater into a fortified city — aren't you even a little worried about her?"
"Who are you?"
Seated calmly behind his desk, Glück hadn't moved a muscle. He simply repeated the question.
"Heh. Alright, fair enough. Doesn't look like I can rattle you."
The masked man gave his short blade a practiced spin and slid it back into the scabbard at his waist. He placed his other hand over his chest and offered Glück a brief, casual bow.
"I am Duke Wolf of the Empire — a loyal servant of His Imperial Majesty."
Without further ceremony, he strolled to a spot directly in front of Glück's desk, dragged over a chair, and sat down facing him — paying absolutely no attention to Macht, who stood just to the side.
"Lektire, you may go rest now. You and I will have a proper... little... talk, this duke and I."
The last few words landed with deliberate, measured weight.
Lektire didn't dare say a word. She blinked back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, turned, and ran — she truly had been frightened out of her wits.
She had been tending flowers in the courtyard when this masked lunatic — who had knocked out the guards without a second thought — had marched her all the way to her father's office at the point of a blade.
Once she was clear of Wolf, it was as if the air that had been pressing down on her finally breathed again. Lektire sank slowly to the ground just outside, arms wrapped around her knees, silently praying that her father would be all right.
She had seen the unconscious guards sprawled along every corridor Wolf had taken her through.
"Right, then. If I had truly wanted to hurt her, she'd already be dead. Can we set that aside and have a real conversation? I have a rather attractive proposition for you."
Wolf snapped his fingers against the surface of his mask — the expression beneath it, unreadable.
"And why should I negotiate with a man who trespassed into my territory and seized my daughter? Give me one reason."
That was Glück's answer. The only reason he hadn't simply had Macht dispose of the intruder on the spot was the fact that the man claimed to be a duke of the Empire.
"Don't you want to hold the key to your daughter's medicine yourself?"
That single sentence made the ordinarily decisive Glück pause.
"What exactly are you implying? Medicine? I'm afraid I don't follow."
Watching Glück play dumb, Wolf let out a bright, easy laugh.
"Ha — I knew you'd be interested! Drop the act. I know everything. To keep your daughter in good health, you've been purchasing medicine from Gaderia all this time, haven't you? Wouldn't you rather have that formula in your own hands?"
"Before we go any further — may I verify something?"
"Of course. Go ahead," Wolf said, entirely patient.
"You said your name is Wolf — the ducal house that serves the Imperial family?"
"That's correct."
"This intelligence about the medicine — did it come from the Emperor's shadow agents, or did you dig it up yourself?"
"Both."
"Then tell me. What is this deal of yours?"
Glück weighed his options inwardly and decided to extract a little information first. He did, in fact, recall that such a figure existed in the Empire.
No one would casually joke about a noble title. This masked man was, in all likelihood, the genuine Duke Wolf.
A great noble of the Imperial capital, traveling to this impoverished border region to do business with a minor lord — and having gone to the trouble of investigating him beforehand. That alone was worth pondering.
"It's quite simple. I need you to betray your alliance with Gaderia and align yourself with the Imperial house instead. Once Gaderia has been dealt with, we will give you the formula for the medicine. Beyond that, titles and gold — neither will be a problem."
From the moment he had first laid eyes on Glück, Wolf had seen that this was no saint. So he had dangled the bait.
The offer carried a great deal of weight. Glück stroked his chin and turned it over in silence. Beside him, Macht studied Wolf with an expression that bordered on genuine curiosity.
"Why come to me specifically?"
"Ha! Because isn't it simply delicious? Betrayal is my absolute favorite. Betray Gaderia, and His Majesty the Emperor will give you everything you could ever want. Now — tell me your answer."
In that moment, something feverish radiated from Wolf. His voice was bright with delight, the eyes behind the mask locked hard onto Glück's impassive gaze, the corner of his lips curling upward.
The terms Wolf had laid out were tempting — nothing to lose and everything to gain, on the surface a sure profit.
Another long silence passed before Glück finally gave his reply.
"I may be a villain, but I have my principles. I will not betray the alliance and commitments I have with Gaderia. Before I change my mind about letting you leave here in one piece — I suggest you show yourself out."
In his heart, Gaderia remained an indispensable ally. Having them hold the production formula for the medicine was, in a sense, precisely what made the alliance between the two sides worth maintaining.
The feverish excitement that had animated Wolf slowly drained away. Glück's choice had, evidently, surprised him.
"Macht — see our guest out."
"No, no — that won't be necessary. I'll see myself out."
As if he had simply lost interest, Wolf rose from the chair and walked away at an unhurried pace, offering no further words as he went.
Once Wolf had gone, Macht spoke up from beside him.
"Why didn't you have me deal with him? He seems to know rather too much."
"There are only so many dukes in the Empire. If he disappeared in Weise, that could invite a certain amount of trouble — at least on the surface, the Fortified City of Weise still falls under Imperial jurisdiction."
"Did you ever consider taking him up on his offer?"
"I considered it. But I'd rather go with an old partner I've worked alongside for years. I do still have some principles, after all."
He drew a cigarette from inside his coat. Macht, unprompted, leaned over and lit it for him. Glück took a long drag, then continued.
"Macht — what's your read on that man?"
He was referring to Wolf.
"I'm not sure why, but I keep sensing something off about him."
"Something off?"
Macht's answer surprised him.
"That's right. Honestly, I can't put my finger on it exactly — but he doesn't look like any ordinary human I've ever encountered."
"Indeed. If I'm a villain, then he's something else entirely — a madman."
Glück prided himself on having seen many kinds of people in his time, but Wolf — this particular sort — was the first he had ever come across.
Sitting in the same room as the man had left behind a strangeness he couldn't quite name.
____
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