Rise Of The Godking - Chapter 154 Negotiation

He was dressed as gaudily as possible, with a golden crown on his head and his braided hair stuck up above the piece of jewelry, shaped like a crown, itself. On his request, the elf had also worked on his face, changing a few features to make it seem as grand as possible, and his clothes were the flashiest he had ever worn in his life.

They had two trains behind them, of the sort that could be expected from wedding gowns back on Earth. The train on the left was a sparkling white, shining in the setting sun as it trailed along, flying occasionally in the evening breeze that graced the seven islands of the beggar king’s city. The train on the right was black as sin, enchanted specifically to draw in light and make it seem as if it was a gaping black hole, ready to swallow up anyone who dared to gaze upon it too much.

The main robes could be likened to armor due to the way they hugged his entire body from head to toe in one single, flowing piece. Made of overlapping golden scales that were meant to blaze even if there was no light shining upon them, they were garish enough to blind anyone looking upon their overstated brilliance, and with a face that made no doubt as to whether it belonged with the ostentatious clothes, Daneel swept toward the entrance of the beggar king’s home.

Alex and the elf were wearing the same clothes they had come in. Daneel had been loath to spend what he had on his own robes; hence, even the mention of something similar being used up for the two of them had made him look at Alex scandalously, and with a scowl, the thief had been made to accept that it would be fine even if they didn’t match with their glorious leader.

There was a point to everything he had done, and he was excited to make it to the two of them. And as for the reason behind their frustration… it was that he had fallen back on his old habit of concealing his plans so that he could reveal them in a grand manner, and sure enough, the two had been incensed that their excitement at finding out what scheme he had cooked up had amounted to nothing.

Daneel had even had to coax out what he needed from Alex. The man was a historian, after all, so he knew the patterns that the nobility among the Ushanbos favored while dressing themselves.

He had promised them that they would find everything out before the day it playing, and this was the only thing that had satiated them. There was a purpose behind this decision of his, too, and he hoped, no, he knew that they would understand as soon as he was able to tell them about the reasons behind his actions.

A smile stretched his lips as he saw that everything was going to plan. When he entered the huge, stone room with a vaulted ceiling and a glass chandelier shaped like a lion, the beggar king snapped his head up, eyes crinkling with irritation as they fell upon the figure that looked like it had descended from the sky.

The man had been perusing something while waiting for the meeting to which Daneel was late. Brushing aside his displeasure as if it was nothing but a gust of wind, Daneel masterfully swept the two trains behind him so that they flew in the air for a moment before settling themselves neatly over and behind the high-backed chair he sat on.

The beggar king’s lips tightened, and Daneel relaxed. He was supposed to be angry, after all. He was the host, and Daneel was making a show of insulting him in the worst way possible.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Daneel took it even further. Raising one hand, he silenced the man and said, “I don’t have time to listen to you. Heed my words, and do what I tell you to. Believe me. You would prefer it if I am out of your hair as quickly as possible, and the only way to ensure this is that I’m not made to wait. Warasi, the list.”

Alex hastily stepped forward, producing a piece of parchment from his pocket that he handed to the grimy man in shabby clothes. While he studied the numbers and figures written on the paper with eyebrows that rose with every second, Daneel studied him.

He looked much the same as he had when the three of them had departed Marillein, but there were a few small changes. His eyes were even more sunken than they had been before, and his flesh seemed to cling to his bones just a tiny bit more.

Either the man was under even greater stress that he had been over all these years, or he had been overworking himself. Daneel was interested to know the reason behind the latter, but letting it go for the moment, he spoke again the second he saw the man reach the end of the parchment.

His nostrils flared when he read what had been written there, and he looked up with eyes so red that it was obvious he had forgotten who he was actually talking to.

Before he could speak, Daneel’s words echoed throughout the room.

“Whatever you wish to say, keep it to yourself. If you think it is a request, you are mistaken. It is an order. Tomorrow, one of my men will arrive to give you the parcel that you will be keeping safe in your best vault. Your best one, mind you. I will know if you detract even an inch from my instructions. And if you’re surprised about how much we are buying, don’t be. We have big plans for the future, and they begin now. That is all you need to know. You have your business, I have my ambition. Both of us will be happy, and I will be able to depart from this stinking hole of a cesspit you call a city.”

The beggar king glared at that last part, but swallowing his anger, he tried to speak in a level tone that kept breaking into higher octaves whenever he let his anger get the better of him.

“This is… unprecedented, to say the least! You’re placing an order that costs an amount enough to buy an island, outright! You’re doing it on such short notice, and you want me to store something in my vault, which is not supposed to be used for anything else but for my own purposes! This is preposterous! I will need to check with the…”

Daneel frowned, and the whip flew.

The sharp ‘crack’ was heard in the room before it struck, startling the beggar king and making him hastily lean back.

The tip of the whip could be seen for a moment at the exact place where his head had been. A cold sweat broke out on his brow as he realized this, and after letting out a quick breath, he looked to Daneel while blinking rapidly.

“No. You will not contact the family, because you don’t need to. Their standing instructions are clear: if someone can pay, you sell. Arrangements are being made to keep them happy by the time they check the records. Besides, the matters of our two families are of no concern to you, dirty beggar. You are a slave in all but name, and we are the kings of slaves, so keep your mouth shut. In two days, my men will come with the money. You will return the item I gave you, then, along with everything we are buying. Understand?”

The tip of the whip moved ever so slightly in his hand, and the beggar king’s face became drained of the little blood it had left. He nodded shakily, and with a smile, Daneel rose and swept his way out, his two trains swinging along merrily in the breeze he made, himself, matching his exuberant mood and standing in stark contrast to the stunned faces of his companions, who couldn’t figure out why and how he was going to produce triple the money they had in hand.