She immediately raised her staff, aiming it at me.
She smiled.
"I knew it. The way you fought Kaelor… I told him, but he just didn't want to believe me."
"Well, I was planning on keeping an eye on you, Malvek. But now that you just came here and told me yourself… there's no doubt anymore."
"I have to take you to the king."
She tilted her head slightly.
"It's your bad day, Malvek."
"You know… the king won't hold back on you. You might die."
She paused.
"So don't make me use my magic and waste both our time."
"Just follow me quietly to the king. Understood?"
I looked at her with a completely emotionless expression.
"Is that how you want to live…?"
"Huh? What do you mean, kid?"
"Well…" I said as I stepped closer.
"Do you really want to waste your life… and your potential… being the king's rat?"
I kept walking toward her.
She stepped back, creating distance between us.
"Potential…?" she repeated, her voice lowering.
"SHUT UP!"
"What do YOU know about my potential? You know nothing about me!"
"Now stop coming closer or I will—"
She tightened her grip on her staff.
I stopped.
Then I looked at her with pure disdain.
"What a failure… what a waste of potential."
Her teeth clenched.
"One more word and I swear I will kill you."
I nodded.
She calmed herself after a few seconds.
"…Seems like you do have some sense after all."
"Now just follow me quietly."
I didn't move.
"Hm?!"
"I may be a mage, but that doesn't mean I'm weak physically. Don't make me use force."
I stayed silent.
"FINE!"
She rushed forward, now only a meter away.
She clenched her fist and threw a punch at me, holding her staff in her other hand.
I didn't dodge.
I simply reached out and grabbed her fist in mid-air.
Easily.
Like it was nothing.
"—HUH?!"
She tried to pull back with all her strength.
But she couldn't move.
Dumb girl… You should've just used your magic.
She quickly aimed her staff at me—
—but I moved first.
I punched her arm.
The staff flew out of her hand, landing meters away.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! LET GO OF ME!"
I grabbed both of her arms now, holding her in place.
I looked down at her.
No emotion.
Cold. Dead.
Sweat formed on her face.
"W-What… are you…?"
"Calm down," I said quietly.
"HELP—!"
She opened her mouth to scream again.
"…You didn't leave me a choice."
I turned her around, pulling her back against me.
With one hand, I grabbed her jaw, forcing it shut.
With the other, I held her arm tightly.
"Now listen."
"I'll ask you questions."
"Each time you lie… don't answer… or try to scream again…"
"I'll break one of your fingers."
I looked down, only her eyes visible to me.
I was right… She can't use magic without her staff.
Fear filled her eyes.
"Blink once if you understand."
After a few seconds… she blinked.
Her body relaxed slightly.
She gave in.
"Good."
I slowly released her jaw.
"First question."
"Will you teach me the connecting magic?"
"Y-Yes… I… will…"
"Good."
"Now tell me how."
"You… might not be able to use it… and even if you could… it would take a long time to learn…"
"Well then—can YOU use it on two other people?"
She nodded.
"Good."
"And if it's used… can you undo it whenever you want?"
She froze for a moment.
Then—
"Y…Yes…"
Hmm… lying, huh?
I stayed silent.
More sweat formed on her face.
"I see…"
I suddenly tightened my grip, forcing her jaw shut again.
And—
SNAP
I broke her index finger.
Her body trembled violently.
A muffled scream escaped her as tears filled her eyes.
"Didn't I say… don't lie?"
"Why make this harder for both of us…?"
I waited a minute.
Then released her jaw again.
"Let's try again."
"If used… can you undo it?"
She struggled to speak.
"N… No… I can't…"
"It's… a spell-type magic… once it's cast… it can't be undone…"
"Hmm… good."
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Don't lie again, alright? I'm basically a lie detector."
"Next question."
"This one I already know the answer to… but I want to confirm."
"Why the bracelets?"
She hesitated.
"…It's… the emperor's rule…"
Emperor…?
"He said… if the prophecy turned out to be true… and many people appeared…"
"We were supposed to immediately imprison them and place the bracelets on them…"
"They activate if a 'hero' breaks the rules… or does something forbidden…"
"And… they die."
"But… it's controlled by the mages of each capital…"
She swallowed.
"But when you all appeared… you were already unconscious…"
"So… we changed the plan…"
"Hmm…"
"I see."
"And you're the one controlling them in this capital?"
She nodded.
"And you can only activate them through your staff?"
She nodded again.
"…But I also need the king's permission."
"I see…"
So the emperor is the one above all…
"Can you turn it off now so I can remove it?"
"I… can't."
"There's a spell restriction… like I said, I need permission from the king…"
Doesn't seem like she's lying… doesn't matter. I already planned for this.
"Alright."
"Question time is over."
"Now comes the real part."
"I want you… to cast the connection spell…"
"…on me…"
"…and the king's daughter."
Her eyes widened.
"WHAT?! You can't be serio—"
I instantly grabbed her jaw again.
SNAP
Her middle finger broke.
"I said no screaming, didn't I?"
After a few minutes—
"Will you do it… or not?"
"…I will…"
I leaned slightly closer to her.
"And… don't call me a kid again."
Power is important… but if you don't have it, act like you do.
And the best way to defeat someone with a big ego… is to crush that ego.
She didn't have to come close or use violence—but I provoked her easily.
That's how you win in situations like this.
Like I said… don't have power. Act like you do.
But remember… in the end, power isn't the only way to win.
Oh, and yeah… dumb king… putting paintings of his family all over the castle.